Zankoku na Tenshi no These
by Katamari Damacy
Summary: As disaster strikes, all of Heaven realizes that things are far worse than any of them could possibly imagine. The tide of darkness rises against the light, and the forces of good struggle to fight back against an unseen and nameless enemy. Not Eva xover.
1. Arc I Chap 00 Prologue

This story is a repost of a story that I originally started about three years ago (first under the name Boogiepop, then changed to Gunso). I'm doing some revisions as I go, so hopefully it will be better than before. I also plan on actually finishing this time.

Standard disclaimer: I don't own Oh! My Goddess, though some of the characters in the story are my own original creations.

* * *

Arc I: Prologue 

A Place of Subtle Darkness

The wind blew fiercely across what thousands of years before was a temple. A circle of large, cracked, gray stone pillars seemed to have barely stood the test of time. Within this perimeter was a circular tablet of dark marble, almost forty feet across, laying flat on the grassy earth. The solid disk had no seams or cracks and seemed to have been formed from a single piece of stone.

Geologists and archaeologists alike had spent nearly a century trying to answer the question of how the ancient people of Japan had managed to create such a thing, or even where they had obtained such a large quantity of a rock that was not indigenous to the region.

The carvings on the stone itself proved equally bewildering. The ancient runic designs were far too worn and faded to read, but all agreed that the writing was no form of Japanese, or any other writing from the mainland. Some had made the point that the runes seemed to resemble ancient Nordic script, but that line of thinking was discounted by most. What could be read was definitely not Nordic, and to say that the Norse had been in Japan three to four thousand years before would have made any archaeologist an outcast from the scientific community.

The people of Japan didn't seem too terribly interested in such debates, however. To them it was simply another shrine, something to be respected, but not something to worry about. Thousands of visitors came to the mysterious ruins every year to pray to their ancestors, to ask the gods for good fortune, or just to take pictures like any other tourist would. There was no way for any of them to realize what they were truly standing on.

Only a handful of its visitors could feel the invisible heat, the darkness and pain, which revealed the true nature of the site. However even the ones who felt uneasy at this place could never comprehend the true history of the ancient shrine, or the future that would start on those very grounds.

Through the ages of mankind the place had become a ruin that belied its true importance. While the people of Earth paid the prehistoric structure little mind, Heaven had kept a careful eye on it since it was constructed. However, even they had forgotten just why they kept their vigil. Only the Almighty Himself and the Councils of Heaven knew what the place was, and what was truly hidden there.

They knew because they had put it there.


	2. Arc I Chap 01 An Ill Wind

_Arc I: Chapter One_

_An Ill Wind_

Her long, bare legs were moved quite seductively. Her feminine endowments entranced him, and he found himself wishing she would discard the leather things covering her shoulders. Once again he found himself thanking the Almighty that she wore that swimsuit looking thing on a regular basis.

She approached closer with each beat of his heart, staring at him with a knowing smile. "It's a shame that there's no Goddess Relief Office to provide aid to other Celestials." Her voice was that of a temptress who was obviously aware of what was on his mind.

"Damn shame…" he muttered.

Bending forward so her face was mere inches away from his, her smile became even more seductive, if that was possible. "I think a military man like you should have a little release now and then, don't you?" He nodded, though he wasn't looking at her eyes anymore. While her collarbones were quite nice, his gaze was somewhere south of there.

"Well then, why don't we play a little game?" she asked, pulling his face up to hers with a gentle touch of her hand, "Why don't we pretend that you're a deserving mortal, and I'm here to grant you a wish?" She got even closer, and he could feel her breath caressing his cheeks. His heart was pounding and his breaths came rapidly. "So, then," she whispered into his ear, "What is it, right at this moment, that you want more than anything? Tell me and your wish will be granted."

_Thank you, Almighty, sir!_

"Gil?" came a male voice.

He managed a confused, "Huh?"

"I think we should go down to Odin's tonight. What do you think?" the voice asked, sounding much more familiar this time.

"Xander, you son of a bitch!" Gilgamesh groaned into his pillow. His oldest friend in all of Heaven had just burst loudly into his room and awakened him from an extremely pleasant dream, and now he could barely remember it. _Something about that dark haired Goddess who works over at Yggdrasil. The one that always wears those skimpy outfits. I'm gonna kill him for this._ The young God sat up in his bed, answering grumpily, "I still haven't recovered from the last time, Xander."

The other God smirked, "Just because you can't hold your liquor."

"You were the one who spiked all my drinks, you jerk!"

"What?" he asked innocently, "Little ol' me?"

"Yes, you," he said as he rubbed his eyes, irritation in his voice, "Can't we wait till Friday?"

Xander shook his head as a small smile appeared, "No can do, buddy. I've got plans."

Gil raised an eyebrow as he swung his legs over the side of his mattress, wearing something that resembled light blue boxer shorts. "Plans?" he asked, "Other than partying? I'm not complaining, but are you okay?"

The other God chuckled as he ran a hand through his short, spiked blond hair. "I'm better than okay, Gil. In fact, what's going to happen Friday is why I want to celebrate tonight." Xander obviously saw the confused and exasperated look on his friends face because he started to explain himself. "Listen, I was going to ask after you had a few drinks in you, but I couldn't do something so underhanded to my best friend."

That drew a snort from Gilgamesh as he knocked some of the long brown hair out of his face. "Gee thanks, I guess."

Pulling over a chair, Xander sat a few feet away, leaning forward with his elbows resting on his knees. "You should feel honored about what I'm going to ask you. Anyway, I'm not hanging out Friday cause I'm taking Ex out to eat."

Gil rubbed his eyes blearily, "You guys go out almost every weeknight. What's the big deal with taking her on a Friday? It's not Thanksgiving, is it?"

Xander chuckled as he shook his head, "No, pal, not yet. But it's definitely important. See, I was going to ask if…"

He found his speech abruptly cut off as the lights in Gil's room dimmed for a moment before the piercing sounds of an alarm echoed throughout Heaven. The young God winced briefly at the annoying noise before he realized just what the seldom heard sound meant. The two Celestials simply looked at each other for a moment before Xander spoke, "An attack? You gotta be kidding!"

As Gilgamesh stood, a swirl of mist quickly enveloped him, then disappeared to reveal a set of dark blue and white robes. "I don't know what's going on, but we better get going."

Xander stood and began rustling around in his own green robes, pulling out a small box. "Before we go," he asked, "can a leave this here? I'd hide it at my place, but I'm afraid Ex will find it."

Gill blinked several times at the object before he gave a large smile to his oldest friend. Taking the package and setting it on his bedside table, he nodded, "I want to hear more about this later. Now let's go."

The blond God laughed as he gripped Gil's shoulder, "Right. Thanks Gil."

* * *

It was November in Japan. The leaves had long since changed colors and began their yearly descent to Earth, but by the temperature outside, you wouldn't have guessed that winter was only days away. The gentle breeze carried a pleasant warmth to it that seemed to make the cloudless day much brighter. 

On this day, a beautiful young lady was on her way back from the market, singing quietly to herself as the rode her bicycle down the street. Her long hair seemed to shine golden as it trailed out in the air behind her, tied with a yellow handkerchief just below her neck. She wore a matching yellow sundress that allowed her to feel both the warm sun and the pleasant breeze.

"Hello, Miss Belldandy!" a young boy called and waved as she rode by his house.

Her radiant smile made the kid blush as she waved back, "Hello, Tenko!" A small bark drew her attention to a small white dog at the boy's side. She laughed as it raised its paw at her. "Hello to you as well, Perro! And thank you for the compliment, I like this dress too!"

Tenko seemed to take her speaking to his dog in stride. She did it all time, after all, and Perro seemed to like her as much as he did. What the young boy didn't realize was that, being a Goddess, Belldandy really did understand the little dog.

As she continued her easy ride home, she not only listened to the people and animals that she passed by, but also the trees, the earth, and the wind as well. As a Goddess she was in tune with the spirits of everything in the world, and today she was listening closely to them all. The plants were happy to see the sun so bright, the lazy wind was warm and inviting, and the Earth itself was calm and quiet, feeling no desire to quake this day.

Rounding the final corner, Belldandy began to think again about the dinner she would prepare for him tonight. She had a wonderful assortment of vegetables, and there had been a sale on mackerel that had been too good to pass up.

Finally arriving home, she walked her bicycle onto the old temple grounds. It was the place that she resided, and the place where all her most important people lived. There was no other place in the universe that she would rather call her home.

Continuing around the side of the main house, she was on her way to put her bike away when she saw a black haired college student tinkering with a black motorcycle. He was wearing an old pair of jeans and a simple white tee shirt (at least, it had been white before). She smiled as she watched him remove a small part from the insides of the half disassembled bike, looking like he was about to ask it what was wrong with it. With an annoyed expression on his face, he gave up his staring match and wiped the back of his hand across his brow, only to leave a large black streak.

Unable to maintain her silence any longer, she let out a small laugh. Surprised that he had an audience, he turned quickly and smiled at what he saw, his troubles instantly forgotten. "Welcome back, Bell. Did you get everything you needed?" He stepped over the parts he had placed on some oil stained towels and walked over to her, taking the bags from the basket on the front of her bicycle.

"Yes, my dear. I bought a pumpkin while I was out, and I thought I might make a pie out of it. How does that sound to you?"

"It sounds wonderful!" he replied as she put her bike in the shed, "I can taste it already."

"I'm glad to hear it," she smiled as she came back to him. "I hope I can get it just right. I haven't made pumpkin pie in a long time," the Goddess said as she reached for one of the brown grocery bags.

"Hang on, there!" Keiichi grinned as he twisted, bringing the bags just out of her reach, "What kind of man would I be if I let the girl carry the bags inside?"

A warm feeling welled up inside her for the man she loved so much. Keiichi was a little on the short side, and had never been a particularly athletic person, so he always tried to make up for what he saw as a deficiency by doing whatever he could. Belldandy herself never quite understood this shortcoming that he believed he had, but was always pleased to see the look on his face when he carried something for her or performed some kind of manual labor.

Unfortunately, this time she wanted to carry one of the bags. The mackerel was supposed to be a surprise, and she didn't want him to look inside one of the bags and spoil it. "At least let me carry one, Keiichi," she reached again, only to have him turn around full circle to escape her. He had the cutest smile on his face, but she wouldn't let that distract her. Her expression changed to a curious one as she reached her hand toward his face, "Hold still a moment, dear."

He blinked as she rubbed her thumb over his nose. His cheeks were already turning scarlet by the time she spoke up, "You had a little grease on there." The young man was red as a beet and frozen in place, making it quite easy for the Goddess to snatch the bag from one of Keiichi's arms and scamper away.

It seemed to take a moment before he noticed one of his arms was empty. Belldandy heard an indignant, "Hey!" come from behind her as he began pursuit. Turning to look at him, she held the grocery sack away from him.

"You can't look in here," she explained as she held back her laughter, "It's a secret!"

This caused Keiichi to burst into laughter. "So I'm not authorized to look at the top secret vegetables?"

Belldandy laughed with him. It was the most wonderful thing in the world to her to share moments like this with her beloved, and it was just that much better with the perfect day that it had turned out to be. She was so filled with joy that she was totally unprepared for what happened next.

A cold gale cut its way across the land, a sharp contrast to the gentle breeze that had lazily floated through most of the day. The icy wind chilled the bones of everyone, whether they were outside or not. Priests at shrines and churches everywhere could feel the bad omen that this wind represented. Even Keiichi, a normal everyday human, could feel that blast of air touch his very soul.

But while the wind was just an uncomfortable jolt to most, for Belldandy it was an unbearable tempest. Her senses were so open and sensitive at the moment that the blast of air hit, it tore through her mind and heart, overloading everything. All that she could hear were the tortured screams of thousands of anguished souls, and all she could feel was the pain that was their existence.

* * *

**AN:**

Please review and let me know what you think. I'd very much like to hear from you.

Thanks for reading,

Katamari Damacy


	3. Arc I Chap 02 Dark Voices

_Arc I: Chapter Two_

_Dark Voices_

Keiichi wondered, for only a moment, why a burst of cold air would make him feel so ill at ease. His concern about the unusual weather was crushed by the blood halting shriek let out by the Goddess before him. The young mortal had never heard her make a sound so full of pain and fear.

Her eyes widened as she dropped the sack of groceries that she had just snatched from him, and tears seemed to have already formed in her sapphire eyes by the time her hands had come up to cover them. She was trying to say something through her screams but couldn't articulate it.

The black haired college student was completely stunned, unable to move or speak as she twisted back and forth, as if trying to evade an unseen attacker. He vaguely felt the bag he was holding slip from his arm, but he could hardly care when it landed on his foot, causing the contents to spill out onto the sandy path around the temple.

Only two or three seconds after it began, though it seemed more like an hour to Keiichi, her voice faded and her jarring movements slowed. In the blink of an eye he realized that she was falling, and in another blink he had moved to stop her descent. His awkward catch didn't allow for him to hold her up for long, and as he frantically pushed the hair away from her closed eyes, he laid her as gently as he could on the stone lined path they were on.

"Belldandy? Belldandy?" he excitedly called as he cradled her features in both hands. He vaguely realized that his breathing had grown rather shallow and quick, but it hardly mattered. He nearly hyperventilated as he tried several more times to wake her, but to no avail. He finally took a deep breath, but it was only so he could yell toward the temple house, "Urd! Urd, something's wrong with Belldandy!"

Not sure what else to do when only silence responded, he sat Belldandy up, put one of her arms around his shoulder, and lifted her up while trying to move as fast as he could toward the house. With a strange mix of adrenaline and fear induced clumsiness, Keiichi carried her in a way no normal person would carry another. He held her from the side as her legs drug the ground between his legs. It would have been a comical scene if not for the frightening situation.

Sliding the front door open with his foot hard enough to make it slam and close halfway again, he again kicked it aside as he entered his home. "Urd!" he screamed out again, but this time when he listened for a response, he could hear the faint sounds of someone crying.

Adding a layer of confusion to the jumble of emotions inside, Keiichi gently laid the Goddess he loved so much near the entrance as he went to investigate why Belldandy's elder sister was ignoring his calls.

Kicking off his shoes and running down the wood floored hall, he was looking at the door he knew led to Urd's room, but slid to a stop when he realized he had already passed the source of the crying. Backing up several steps, he tried to catch his breath as he stared at the sign on one of the doors marked 'Skuld Labs'. He hesitated for a moment, worried about what waited on the other side. Glancing back at Belldandy's unconscious form, he screwed up his courage and threw open the door.

Banpei, Skuld's mechanical helper and resident security robot, was moving very strangely and making a number of sounds that Keiichi had never heard before. The humanoid little robot kept jerking around the room, randomly looking this way and that, pointing his stockpile of weapons at invisible enemies that seemed to be everywhere. Strangely enough, though it was apparently searching for a target, Banpei didn't seem to notice the human who had just slid the door wide open.

Finding himself at a complete loss for what seemed like the tenth time in the last five minutes, he shook it off and began to search for the source of the crying. Keeping an eye on Banpei as he crept across the floor, he found one of the tool benches, littered with unidentifiable gizmos and alien-looking tools, was crooked. Pushed back from the wall, the feminine sobs were coming from behind it.

Peering around the piece of furniture, he found a young girl in her mid teens. She was curled up into a shivering ball, her arms wrapped around her knees and her dark hair falling haphazardly as she hid her eyes. Every choked cry resonated throughout her pink garbed body. _What the hell is going on around here?_

"Skuld?" his voice was gentle as he softly gripped her shoulder, "It's me, Keiichi. What's wrong, Sk-whoa!" In a flash she had flattened him, burying her face in his chest as she lay sprawled across him. He patted her head as he struggled to push both of them into an upright position. "I'm right here, Skuld. Tell me what's wrong."

Her large, light brown eyes glistened with tears as she peeked up at him. Clamping them shut again and forcing a new stream of tears down her cheeks, she cried out, "Make them stop!" Skuld's new round of terrified screams very much reminded Keiichi of something he had already heard. _She's scared to death of something, but what? Is it the same thing that made Bell pass out? It has to be, there's no way this is just a coincidence._

He gently nudged the young Goddess in his arms, "Come on, Skuld, let's go find Urd. She can tell us what's going on here. She'll be able to make them stop, I'm sure of it." All she did was wrap her arms around his neck, quickly making his shoulder feel as damp as his chest already did. He sighed, decided that she would forgive him later for handling her in such a familiar way, and wrapped his left arm under her legs. With her still clinging desperately to him, he again kept a careful eye on the malfunctioning Banpei as he gingerly made his way back to the hall.

_Now to find Urd._ Once he was out of view of the insane robot, Keiichi moved further into the house as quickly as he could. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest and his lungs still felt tight. It was only seconds more before he was kicking another door open, "Urd, where are you?"

The mortal college student had never felt comfortable in Urd's room. It wasn't just because of her propensity to make inappropriate innuendoes and equally inappropriate grabs at his more private areas (though she wasn't as bad as she had been in the past in this regard), but it also had to do with the fact that her chambers doubled as a sort of alchemical laboratory.

Keiichi had always been a mechanically minded person, drawn to engines and frames and all sorts of engineering marvels since he was small. Urd's room was the complete opposite, littered with beakers and jars that were filled with God knew what. Nothing in her room ever seemed to obey the laws of physics, or even the rules of common sense. That room had almost always been a source bad luck and confusion for him, but this time was different. He was hoping that for once, this room would give him some answers that he could understand.

"Urd?" Only silence answered him. Taking a few slow steps through the open door, he looked around at the tables that were set haphazardly around the room, with equally disorganized looking glass vials and silvery scales. He was about to call out one more time when he saw a shock of long white hair curling around the corner of an alchemist's desk to his left. Circling to the other side, he found Belldandy's elder sister sitting on the floor with her back against the oaken piece of furniture. She made no sign that she noticed him, only hugging one knee and staring at nothing.

"Urd," he tried not to sound too agitated, but didn't quite succeed, "Belldandy is unconscious in the hall and Skuld is freaking out. Just what the hell is going on here?"

"I don't know," she rasped, not at all the usual confident Urd, "I can't keep all the voices out of my head."

"What?" Keiichi didn't find the comfort he sought from the Goddess, in fact he felt even more scared than before. "Urd, you have to help your sisters!"

A tear fell down her cheek as the expression she wore intensified. "I can't even move, Keiichi. I can't do anything." Her voice shook with effort, as though she was barely able to keep from crying herself.

Keiichi struggled with the churning emotions within him as he closed his eyes and breathed deep. Whatever was happening, it was as hard on Urd as it was on her younger sisters. Thinking of his beloved laying in the hallway, he pushed his fear and uncertainty aside. He would be the strong one. "Don't worry, Urd," he spoke as reassuringly as he could, "I'm going to get Belldandy, then we're all going to sit here and wait this thing out together, okay?"

He put a hand over hers and gave it a squeeze. Her emerald eyes seemed to soften as another tear made a path down her tanned cheek. He set Skuld down beside Urd, who moved just enough to hold her youngest sister. "Thank you, Keiichi."

He gave a small smile, and put everything he could into sounding confident, "Don't worry about it. I'll be right back, okay?" She didn't move or make a sound, but he was sure that his words were heard.

Heading back into the hallway, he began to walk toward the front door where Belldandy lay. _What do I do now? I'm just a regular mortal, I can't do anything!_ Only a few minutes ago he was quietly and contentedly working on an uncooperative valve in his beloved BMW motorcycle. There was little time to adjust to the stresses on his mind and body. The dark haired boy rubbed his face, realizing too late that he had left streaks of oil and grease on his features. Hanging his head for a moment, he looked up at the wooden ceiling and clasped his hands together. "Please Almighty, we really need some help down here."

Just as he finished his prayer, Keiichi almost jumped through the wall when the phone rang on a small table right next to him. Quickly picking up the receiver he answered, "Hello?"

"Keiichi?" came a feminine voice over the static filled line, "I need to speak with Urd or Belldandy right now!"

"Peorth, thank goodness! Something is seriously wrong!" He quickly relayed everything that had happened from Belldandy's scream until the phone rang. He could feel the panic returning to his voice, but he did his best to stay composed. "What's going on, Peorth? Can't you help them?"

For a moment she didn't reply, and he could hear bustling sounds and chattering voices through the static and digital distortion. It was a strange mix of sounds, and it made Keiichi wonder just what had happened to make a call from Heaven sound like that.

"We aren't sure what's happened down there yet," she finally answered, "All the sensors on Earth were scrambled by whatever it was. Yggdrasil is a mess right now, so it's going to be a while before we can get anyone down there."

"What?" he blurted out, no longer worried about keeping the desperation out of his voice, "What about Belldandy? Urd and Skuld, too, they need help, Peorth! They need…"

"Listen Keiichi," she interrupted him firmly, "You are just going to have to try and keep them comfortable until we get things under control up here. Whatever it is that's affecting them is probably the same thing that affected the system. There's no hard evidence to suggest that you're in any physical danger right now, but you should still stay in the temple till we get there. It might give you some protection."

He gulped nervously before giving her a shaky reply, "Okay. I'll try my best."

It was another moment before she spoke again, this time more softly, "I know you guys are having a hard time right now, and I'll come down personally as soon as I can, but until then I need you to be strong for them, okay?"

"Alright Peorth," he said as bravely as he could, "But please hurry."

There was a small laugh that he was grateful to hear. "Thatta boy, Keiichi."

* * *

"So what do you think is going on?" Gilgamesh queried as he and Xander soared across the cool blue skies of Heaven.

"Don't ask me," he replied with a confident grin, "Maybe it was just a power surge and it somehow set of the alarm."

The younger God turned a dubious look toward his companion, "Power surge?"

"Sure, why not?"

"There hasn't been a Heaven wide system error in, what, ten years?"

"It's bound to happen sometime," Xander nodded, though he quickly grinned and scratched his head, "Well, maybe not now, but what else could it possibly be?"

"I have no idea," Gilgamesh acceded the point with a nod, but looked around with a glint of skepticism. "But you have to wonder what exactly would make everyone in Heaven go nuts like this."

Everywhere the pair looked Gods and Goddesses were zipping through the air, several times more than one could expect to see even on a busy day in Heaven. Gil wondered to himself how many Celestials he was _not _seeing at that moment. The sheer numbers of bustling workers made him worry about how bad the situation, whatever it was, could possibly be.

As they descended, he noticed Xander was looking to his right. Yggdrasil tower was where several of Gilgamesh's friends worked. Ere, Chrono, and the one that Xander was likely thinking about, Ex, all worked within the titanic structure. The huge, egg shaped structure that contained the computer that controlled reality, Yggdrasil, was a majestic landmark. Now, Gil thought, it looked more like a bee hive. So many Goddesses swarmed about it almost seemed alive.

"I wonder how Ex and the other girls are doing over there," Xander's words were hardly more than a whisper. Gil wasn't sure if he was meant to hear, but he decided to answer anyway.

"I'm sure the bridge bunnies are fine," the young God smiled as he dealt out a friendly hit on the shoulder, "They're probably single handedly saving the day over there."

Xander returned the blow with a laugh, "Yeah, I suppose they're going to make us pay for dinner."

He chuckled at the prediction which would likely, Gilgamesh thought, come true. He did know that the three Goddesses probably knew everything about the anomaly, whatever it was. It would have been nice if he could talk to just one of them right then.

Thoughts of his friends at Yggdrasil flew from his mind as they touched down on a grassy field near the Halls of the Templar. Predictably enough, there were members of Heaven's military everywhere, and more were still arriving. The Templar were not as numerous as the workers at Yggdrasil, in fact they barely outnumbered the Goddess Relief Office. Still, to see several hundred of Heaven's finest gathered in one place was enough to give Gilgamesh a thrill of pride.

"Xander, Gil, I wondered when you would show up."

The pair grinned at each other before turning to the burly source of the voice. Gil made his reply first, "Sorry to keep you waiting for so long."

"Yeah, Barbarus," Xander chimed in, "If we didn't live halfway across Heaven, we could have been here ten seconds after the alarm, too."

"Well, it was more like thirty two seconds," the orange haired Templar replied with a chuckle that sounded more like that of a bear. Barbarus wasn't much taller than average, however he had an Olympic physique that looked more like warm marble. Gil remembered with a slight wince that it felt like marble when he took a real swing at you.

Not wasting any time, Xander began to look around at the gathered Templars as he spoke, "So what's the deal here, Barbarus? What's going on?"

"No one knows," the large God replied with a shrug, "They haven't told us anything."

Gilgamesh arched an eyebrow, "What, they've just had everyone standing around staring at each other for fifteen minutes?"

"Par for the course, little brother," Xander nudged him with an elbow.

Barbarus huffed, "True enough. If I had a stein for every hour I've spent standing around this stupid field…"

"You'd be passed out before you drank half of them," a new voice interrupted. Gilgamesh knew the God, but not particularly well. Keos was slender, lithe, and had a penchant for sarcasm. "So I take it that no one knows what we're doing here?"

"You would be correct," Xander nodded.

Gil hesitated for a minute before asking something that had been dancing around the edge of his mind, "Has anyone thought that maybe there really was an attack?" The other three Templars looked at him for a second before bursting out into laughter.

"Yeah, Gil," Xander gasped out between breaths, "That's probably what it is."

The young God frowned as he began to feel a little warm. He was wondering what would be a good remark to zing his friend with when Barbarus gave him a nudge.

"The Templars haven't deployed in thousands of years, kid," he said bracingly, though he still wore an amused smile, "Besides, even if it was an attack, that's what we're here for. We'd just crush whoever it is and go back to business as usual. It's our job, that's all."

Keos rolled his eyes, "Great, so you're telling me I could have stayed in bed for a while longer? I had just drifted off to sleep, too."

Xander looked sideways at Gil, "What is it with you guys and sleeping in the middle of the day?"

"You should talk!" the young God retorted, pointing his finger squarely between the eyes of the blond haired offender, "How many times did I have to wake you up last Sunday, _big brother_?"

This drew a hearty guffaw from Barbarus as Xander leaned away from Gil's finger, seeming worried that it might go off, "You only woke me up once, the other times I was just resting my eyes."

"You mean the other eight times?" Gil was beginning to feel the flush in his cheeks as his irritation at his friend's frivolous nature reared its head.

"Easy there, Killer," Xander put his hands up, "It was only six times!"

"How would you know?" Gil retorted, "You were asleep!"

"Woah now," Keos slid his way forward and had a reassuring arm around Gil's shoulders in the blink of an eye. "Xander obviously doesn't appreciate the bliss that is the afternoon nap. You shouldn't waste the good feelings from a nap by getting angry at a guy who can only go out to play when Ex says it's okay."

Barbarus gave a snort at this, and even Gilgamesh couldn't suppress a smile. Xander wasted no time and jumped at Keos. The two began a little grappling match while Barbarus egged them on.

* * *

AN:

I should have said this earlier, but I want to say thanks to Moonraker One for helping me to improve my writing on this story. It's been a big help!

Katamari Damcy


	4. Arc I Chap 03 Out of Nowhere

_Arc I: Chapter Three_

_Out of Nowhere_

Peorth's weak smile faded as the line to Keiichi disconnected. The dark haired Goddess had called hoping to discover what had happened on Earth to cause such a massive system malfunction. The plan hadn't worked quite as well as she had hoped.

Seated in a commanding chair that seemed to float in place, she looked at the pandemonium surrounding her. Goddesses chattering furiously, zooming across Yggdrasil's control center as everyone tried to get a handle on the situation. It was going to be a very long time before anyone would rest.

_Now's not the time to be thinking about that. _Chiding herself for her lack of focus, she concentrated on her work. Wondering what useful information she could glean from the mortal's words, she mulled over Keiichi's narrative. She didn't know what these voices that he spoke of were, but she was certain that they were of a spiritual nature. She had more than enough reason to believe that they were part of the force that almost knocked Yggdrasil offline.

"Chrono." Peorth leaned forward in her chair.

"Yes, Ma'am?" came the response.

"Before we reboot the Earth side and satellite monitoring programs, reconfigure with one fourth the normal sensitivity," she instructed, "If whatever it was that knocked them out in the first place is still there, we'll reduce the input so it can't overload them again."

"I'm on it," the younger Goddess replied promptly.

"Ere, I want you to get the system sensors for Earth back as soon as you can."

"That sector is thirty nine percent restored, estimate fourteen minutes to surveillance restart," another voice stated.

"Ex, as soon as you get the necessary data, prepare to open a gate to these coordinates," Peorth spoke as she input a series of numbers into a holographic pad on her command console.

Yet another Goddess began her calculations as she responded, "Roger. If sensor restart occurs at estimated time, we will have a gate ready approximately twenty six minutes from now."

Peorth deeply inhaled through her nose as she rested against the back of her chair. She allowed a brief, proud smile at her three subordinates. They were working furiously as their eyes darted from one holographic display to the next. _Nothing much for me to do now except stay out of their way._

She stared at the various diagnostic screens that floated in midair in the center of the operations room, but her eyes weren't focused on them for very long. _We won't know anything until the sensors are restored. I have to wait._

As Peorth began to rub her tired eyes, her mind wandered to the beginning of the ordeal. Thinking back only a matter of minutes before, she wondered how things could have gone so wrong so quickly.

She had been fighting the urge to sleep, her head lolling about. The Goddess had been startled more than once by her skull bouncing off the back of her command chair. Nothing at all had happened, just an easy, trouble free day.

The smooth operations, with not a single bug to be found in the Yggdrasil system, delighted her three young subordinates Ere, Ex, and Chrono. Having long since finished their work for the day, they sat at the three stations that made up the central access console and gossiped like mad.

The bridge bunnies, as they were sometimes called, weren't the only ones with time on their hands. Their giggles and whispers sounded much the same as those coming from the rest of the Goddesses in the room.

The huge chamber was much taller than it was wide. There were many levels, floating platforms, and access consoles that were scattered across the floor and toward the ceiling. In the center was a column of light that seemed to swirl with purples, greens, and blues more like it was liquid than anything else. The translucent cylinder stretched from floor to ceiling, and served as a large screen where layers and layers of data would be displayed in three dimensions.

Around the base sat the three young Bridge Bunnies, and slightly away and above them, with a view of everything they did, was the chair of the System Watch Commander, or SWC. Sitting in that very chair was a painfully bored Peorth.

The SWC acted as a sort of captain of the bridge, in charge of Yggdrasil's daily operations, maintenance, program updates, debugging, and in general ensuring that the system was able to run at peak performance. It was, after all, the driving force behind all of reality.

Normally it was a fast-paced workplace that kept a Goddess on her toes at all times, but once in a while a slow day came along, a time where everything worked just fine with no help from the Goddesses who worked to keep it all going. Everyone at Yggdrasil loved days like this. Everyone except the SWC that is.

Peorth miserably checked the clock, and found that only three minutes had passed since her last time check. She sighed as a pained look took over her features. _Thirty four minutes left? Almighty, when will this awful day be over?_

"My, my Peorth," an amused giggle arose from behind the command chair, "You look so bored, are you really that ready for your shift to be over?"

It took only a fraction of a second for Peorth to recognize the voice as the one she had been waiting for seven and a half hours to hear. With sparkling eyes and a dazzling smile, she spun around and leapt over the chair to embrace her savior. "Ceres!" she crooned, "I don't think I've ever been so happy to see you! It seemed like this watch would never end, but you've finally come to save me."

Ceres was a first class Goddess who had moved quickly up the chain of command at Yggdrasil, just like Peorth. The two did not, however, share the same taste in clothes. While Peorth wore racy outfits that left little to the imagination, Ceres was almost the opposite. She wore extremely conservative robes, with several elaborate layers of purple, green, and gold. Her chestnut hair flowed down her back like a river, tied into two tails near the small of her back and ending behind her knees.

Still hugging her savior, Peorth began to wonder why she was getting no response from the other Goddess, who finally began to speak in a solemn voice, "Peorth, I'm not sure how to tell you this. I'm just here to see how things are going. There's still thirty one minutes until crew change."

Peorth fell back, her whole world seemed to darken as she felt a horrible sense of betrayal. Her mind was split between disbelief and a quiet anger that she was being abandoned to die. Yes, her boredom would surely kill her before the half hour was up, and her spirit would come back to haunt Ceres for all time. With her mind going in every direction, all she could manage to say was, "Oh, I see."

As Peorth turned to return to the SWC chair, Ceres couldn't take it anymore. Her smile shone with amusement as she leaned close to her depressive friend. "Well, I suppose I can't abandon you in your greatest time of need," she sniggered, "Get logged out and go home."

Faster than the eye could blink Peorth's previous joy had returned as she resumed her hug, all thoughts of betrayal disregarded. "Oh, thank you, Ceres! I knew you wouldn't condemn me to such a horrible fate. You're such a kind person, so wonderful, so cute! I just love you so much, my cute little girl!"

Ceres began to look a little flushed as Peorth moved in to rub their cheeks together. "You do remember that I'm two years older than you, right Peorth?"

Ignoring the current object of her affections, Peorth suddenly stood upright and pulled Ceres into an embrace. With her chin resting on the slightly elder Goddess's head, she sighed aloud. "Now, how to repay this kindness you've shown me?" She quietly pondered for a few moments while Ceres struggled comically to free herself from the embarrassing cuddle. With a sudden, dramatic movement, Peorth pointed at random and declared, "I have it! We'll go to Odin's pub after your shift. There's always a lot of cute Gods hanging out there in the afternoons."

Finally released from the clutches of Peorth, who was now laughing loudly and patting the deeply blushing Goddess on the back, Ceres began to object. "You don't have to do that," her voice was barely loud enough to make out.

"Oh, come on, Ceres," Peorth smiled, "It's okay to be shy about stuff like that, but come on. You've got to get out there and…"

The dark haired Goddess stopped mid-sentence as all the lights faded for a moment. The usual faint hum of Yggdrasil's systems seemed to falter, and then returned for only a moment before all hell broke loose.

The alert siren was followed almost immediately by Ere, trying hard to be heard over the blaring noise, "Lady Peorth! All the sensors for Earth just went off line! I can't pinpoint the cause."

In an instant all the playful banter between them was gone. As Ceres stood behind her, watching carefully, Peorth's features hardened into her command face. "Could it have been a nest of bugs that we missed before?"

Chrono called out, the sudden stress audible in her voice, "Impossible, Ma'am. It would have had to be several large groups all over the surveillance system to cause a program crash like this, and we definitely would have noticed that."

Ex yelled out over the alarm, "The catastrophic failure in Earth monitoring is causing malfunctions in related systems. It's spreading fast, attempting to isolate."

Peorth took only a moment to process the severity of the situation before them. "Our first priority is to keep this from getting into the operating system. We need to protect Yggdrasil's core from any damage." The commands came out smooth and professional, leaving no doubt in anyone's mind that she was in charge. Inwardly she felt there was little to worry about, after all if anyone could get this problem under control, it was these three. "Ere, set up a level one barrier to isolate the core system and diagnostic programs. Ex, keep trying to slow the progression of the malfunctions. If you have to shut programs down to do so, then do it. Chrono, go back to the logs just before the incident occurred, try to figure out what the hell caused all this. And somebody turn off the damn alarm!"

"Roger!" the three replied as one, moving their hands from string to string on their consoles. The interface resembled a sort of harp-like instrument, with several ways to set the strings that allowed the operator a near limitless selection of commands. As the three young Goddesses' hands moved gracefully, the central display column began to fill with data. The girls flitted from one screen to the next almost faster than the eye could see.

When the blaring of the emergency siren ended, Peorth turned in her chair, "Ceres, I need you to do something for me."

"What is it?" came the gentle, yet somehow firm response. Ceres had been watching things unfold as intently as Peorth had, and likely was beginning to understand how serious this situation could be.

"If this wasn't caused by a bug, if it was something on Earth, then we'll need more than just the Goddesses here at Yggdrasil." She was inwardly hoping that this wasn't the case, but she knew it was a possibility that had to be addressed. "If it was strong enough to damage the system to this extent, well, you know what it could mean. They will need to know, just in case."

Ceres nodded, then cracked a slight smile, "I suppose the Goddess of Roses plans on going down there to investigate this personally?"

Allowing a tiny grin of her own, Peorth huffed. "Just as soon as you get back. Now hurry, I don't want you to be late relieving me."

"Don't let things get out of hand while I'm gone," she touched Peorth's shoulder briefly before becoming a blur, flashing across the cavernous room and out one of the doorways.

As she watched Ceres leave, she realized how busy the room had become. Almost twice the normal number of Goddesses buzzed this way and that, swarming all over the various consoles. It stuck Peorth how much it looked like a beehive.

"Lady Peorth," Chrono's voice sounded again, though not as loud since the alarm was gone, "there isn't any data in the records on what it was, all the sensors shorted out too quickly. However, judging from the sequence of outages it looks like the disturbance originated somewhere in the North West region of the Pacific Ocean. I can't be more exact than that until the sensors are back online."

"North West Pacific, you said?" _Why didn't I think of this sooner?_ "Chrono, check the uplinks to Earth's phone system. Are they still functional?"

"Stand by." The Goddess moved her fingers gracefully across the strings of her console, almost constantly repositioning them as she went. "Our lines have been severed. I'm currently trying a patch through the Goddess Relief Office. Maybe their lines weren't too badly damaged."

"Let me know when you've got the connection," Peorth spoke quickly, "Ere, are you done with that barrier around the core?"

"Just finishing now, no damage to the core system or the diagnostic programs," she breathed, relieved that at least that part of the crisis was over.

Peorth gave her little time to rest, "Ere, begin work on restoring the Earth surveillance system. We won't know what's really going on down there until we get those sensors back."

"Roger."

"We have the phone patch ready," Chrono called out, "You will hear some static or other distortions, but it's the best I can do right now."

"As long as it works, I don't care. Thanks, Chrono," Peorth said as she began to dial in a number through her holographic command display, "Try and help Ere with those sensors."

"I'm on it," came her reply.

The line rang. _I hope they know what's going on down there._

A noise came over the line, then the slightly panicked and static filled voice of a young man she knew, "Hello?"

"Keiichi? I need to speak with Urd or Belldandy right now!"

"Peorth? Thank goodness! Something is seriously wrong…"

"We have the sensors reconfigured for twenty five percent of optimal capacity," Chrono announced, quickly returning Peorth's wandering mind to the present.

"Good, now access my files and reduce my own spiritual sensitivity by the same amount," she instructed.

Chrono looked back at her commander for the first time since the beginning of the incident, "But, but Lady Peorth! Modifying a personal program isn't exactly, um, legal!"

"I'm entering my pass codes now," Peorth responded, "Whatever it is down there that is affecting our sensors is affecting Goddesses that are on Earth. If I reduce my sensitivity, maybe I'll be able to function normally down there."

"With all respects, Lady Peorth," Chrono's voice was filled with worry, "that is a very big _if_! You can't possibly intend to go down there with just a hunch that this modification will protect you. Not by yourself!"

"You needn't worry about Lady Peorth," came a confident male voice, "She will not be going by herself."

* * *

Gilgamesh wasn't sure whether he should be nervous or excited. He wore a set of grey armor, trimmed with blue, and a large, curved sword tucked into his belt. In a strange way, he looked similar to a samurai of old, carrying a nodachi. Looking around at the small group of similarly outfitted Templars that had gathered within the halls of Yggdrasil itself, he decided that he would just feel both and try to engrave this into his memory.

When he had been selected for this assignment to Earth, he had almost cried out with joy. He couldn't remember the last time Templars had been deployed anywhere, much less to the planet of the mortals. It was historical, even if nothing happened. Then again, no one knew what to expect.

Even though the twenty five of them had been standing in formation for over ten minutes, even though the gateway that would take them to Earth was beginning to form twenty feet to their right, no one had told them even a clue as to what their mission was, or what had caused all this chaos among the Goddesses at Yggdrasil.

He didn't have long to ponder, though, as everyone snapped to attention when the Commander of the Templar Armies strode into the stone walled room. Gilgamesh had only seen the God famed as the most powerful Templar once, and that was only for a few seconds. Still, it was impossible to mistake the black clothes, the silver shoulder guards, and the eight foot curved blade that was no thicker than Gil's own nodachi. He looked to be in his twenties (by human standards), but his long, snow white hair and emotionless expression made him look older.

The room had gone silent at his entrance. Gil couldn't even hear breathing. The only sounds were those of the two sets of footfalls. For a moment this didn't register with him, and then he realized that there was someone walking right behind the tall God. She was very pretty, he thought, with very long reddish-brown hair and a rather warm looking outfit. Gil wondered if she wasn't warm wearing so many layers.

"Templars," the Commander addressed them, "There has been an incident on Earth and we have been asked to investigate. There is little information on the nature of this occurrence, so we must be vigilant. Lady Ceres will brief you on what we know." Stepping aside, he motioned the Goddess forward. She looked a little uncomfortable, but when she spoke, her voice was unwavering.

"As the Commander said, we know very little about what is happening down there. We suspect there is something generating a massive amount of spiritual noise on Earth that is powerful enough to damage the system." She paused for a moment to let that sink in.

_Something powerful enough to cause Yggdrasil itself to malfunction? _He glanced sideways at Xander, who was looking back with a curious look that mirrored his own. _Just what could do something like that?_

Ceres continued, "We have three Goddesses on Earth right now that are near the suspected epicenter of this spiritual noise. All three have been incapacitated by it." This drew more surprised and worried looks than before. The fact that three Goddesses would be harmed somehow was bad enough to the all male Templars, but Gilgamesh could guess who the Goddesses were, and so could everyone else.

Belldandy had been quite well known in Heaven even before the infamous contract that sent her to be with that mortal. Everyone had heard about it at one time or another and only slightly fewer Celestials knew that her sisters had been granted permission to accompany her on Earth. It didn't take much to realize that the Goddess that so many loved as an idol of sorts had been hurt, and so had her family. Though none among the Templars actually knew the sisters, everyone felt that they did, and that made this all feel somehow personal.

"You will be gating to Earth near the temple that these Goddesses are living," she continued. "There is a human there who knows about us and will assist you however he can." This was met by muted chuckles. What help could a stupid mortal give anyway?

The chuckles were crushed as the Commander spoke again, "The human knows the area and is offering his home for us to use as a base of operations for the time being. He is to be treated as an advisor. Is that understood?"

"Yes, sir!" The stone walls of the room amplified their unified reply, apparently surprising the Goddess with the sudden volume of sound.

"As Lady Ceres noted, there is an inordinate amount of spiritual noise present on Earth. Be prepared for it."

"Yes, sir!"

Gilgamesh could hear a noise coming from his right, though he didn't want to look while he was standing at attention. He could feel the energy of the gate, and he guessed that it wouldn't be much longer before it opened.

"One last thing," the Commander said, looking less than pleased about this, "Lady Peorth will be following us to Earth when the next gate opens. She will be the liaison with Yggdrasil and will have control of the operations on Earth. You will obey her commands as if they were my own."

Gil blinked at that, and exchanged confused looks with Xander. Having a Goddess involved in a Templar chain of command was highly unusual. The young God thought that it had to do with the fact that the system had been affected so harshly, but wasn't really sure.

Ceres stepped forward again, a strange look in her eye. Clasping her hands together before her, she favored them all with a lovely smile. "Good luck, Templars. I will pray for your success and your good health. Please come home safely."

"Yes, Ma'am!" Their voices were even louder than before, and every man in the formation felt a smile on his lips. She bowed to them, then to the Commander before stepping back.

Gil felt a surge of power fill the room as a new sound came from the gate. "This is it, Templars," the Commander said, "Move out."

As one, the formation crisply turned to their right, lifted off the ground, flying toward the swirl of blue and white energy and the shimmering view of a temple beyond it.

* * *

Thanks to all of you reading out there, and double thanks to my two reviewers. It's always good to know that someone likes your work. 

Next chapter should be out in a couple days. See you then,

Katamari Damacy


	5. Arc I Chap 04 Alone in the Dark

_Arc I: Chapter Four_

_Alone in the Dark_

They were everywhere, all around her, wailing and crying out in terrifying fashion. So many that they formed a discordant symphony of horrific pain and anguish. She couldn't see them with her eyes, but every other sense that she had confirmed their presence.

The moment she felt that first chill Urd felt an urge, a need, to hide. She wanted more than anything to cower under her futon, but her stubborn pride would never allow that. Now the Goddess could feel that pride slipping away, her stubborn will ebbing with each drop of fearful sweat that was now soaking her clothes.

They were becoming angry, furious at her. Why hadn't she suffered as they had? Surely she wasn't better than they were, her life was worth no more than theirs. She felt them edging closer as they raged around her. The white haired Goddess was deeply afraid that they would instantly descend on her if she moved an inch.

Like tidal waves lashing a mound of sand, their violent screams and pained howls were wearing away at her mind. Again she tried to force the sounds from her mind, but their relentless force crushed her feeble attempt before it began. She began to see flashes, horrible scenes that were gone too fast to identify, but made her shiver none the less. All the while, the view of her surrounding grew darker and darker.

The only thing she had left to anchor her was that her sisters were with her, though both were even worse off than she was. Skuld still lay in her arms, though she didn't know when the girl had stopped crying. The young Goddess was still, only her breathing against Urd's breasts showed that she still lived.

Keiichi was still beside her, she could feel his warm arm around her shoulders and could hear his voice, but she didn't know what he was saying anymore. Belldandy was unconscious in his lap, passed out in the first seconds of this hell they were enduring. Normally the Goddess of the Past would have grinned and joked about her sister sleeping through everything, but the terror squeezing her heart wouldn't even allow a smile on the inside, let alone on the outside. At that moment, she truly envied Bell.

She flinched as the voices again screamed, demanding she reveal herself to them. They were right next to her now, and she knew it wouldn't be much longer before they found her. She felt tears stinging her eyes as feelings of helplessness stabbed at her.

She couldn't hear Keiichi's voice anymore, nor could she feel his touch. Looking, she saw only a smoky black, an angry orange glow behind it. He and Belldandy had vanished. With a tear falling down her cheek, she looked down to behold her own empty arms. Skuld was gone, too.

The proud Goddess broke, tears streaming down her face as she cried freely. It didn't matter anymore, they had already found her. Their voices now coalesced as they spoke, a chorus of unholy anger and cruelty.

_We took them all away from you. You will never see the ones you love ever again. They are learning the suffering that is our existence. You will feel it, too. You know nothing of pain, but you will learn. You will know only the agony that we have endured. Forever._

She curled her knees to her head, hugging herself tightly as she trembled. Her mind screamed out, hoping desperately that she would be delivered. _Bell! Skuld! Kei! Don't leave me alone! Help me!_

How long had this gone on? Minutes, hours, days, or was it even longer? It didn't seem to matter anymore. Time had no real meaning here. Forever meant that a thousand years could pass, and the time left to suffer was still the same.

As the last of her hope faded, she felt something. A presence that was unidentifiable, yet familiar. Out there, in that black haze, was something she knew, she could feel it now. It was a kind voice, one that she cared about.

"…Urd…"

Was it real? Did she really hear it, or was it her imagination?

"Urd! Urd can you hear me?"

She was beginning to feel a dull pain, and the haze was becoming lighter. Confused, she mumbled out, "Kei…chi?"

"Yeah, it's me. It's Keiichi." He sounded close by.

Another, more distant voice reached her ears, "Keep her talking, Keiichi." It was a woman, someone she knew.

"Are you alright, Urd?" the human asked, "Do you feel any better now?"

"I can't see you," she managed, only slightly louder than before. "Where are you, Keiichi?"

"I'm right here, Urd," he answered, squeezing her right hand. "Just open your eyes."

Confusion still ruling her mind, the Goddess complied and slowly her vision started to focus. His outline still blurred and dark, she saw Keiichi's relieved smile. "Welcome back."

"I see you're finally awake, Urd," the woman spoke again. Searching for its source she found Peorth slowly walking toward them. "It's good to see that no serious damage was done."

Struggling to sit up, her body felt heavy and numb. Keiichi seemed to realize what she wanted and, with an arm around her shoulders, helped her upright. For a moment she thought she might be sick as the room spun in her blurred vision. Even leaning against the mortal beside her, she thought she would fall.

_Something is wrong. Nothing feels normal. It's like my head is wrapped in cloth, my senses are all dulled._

"Easy there, Urd," Peorth said as she kneeled beside Keiichi, "You've been through a terrible ordeal. There's no permanent damage, but you still need time to recover."

Urd grunted an acknowledgement, as she felt words would be too difficult right then. Fighting to focus herself, she began to observe her surroundings. She could tell that they were in Keiichi's room. The lights were off, with the glow that illuminated the room coming from several candles. Looking between Keiichi and Peorth, she saw two other futons laid out.

"Skuld, Belldandy," her speech was clearer now, "Are they alright?" Her eyes were fixated on the still features of her younger siblings lying nearby.

"Don't worry," Peorth responded, "We're pretty sure your sisters are going to be just fine. It's lucky we got here when we did. They were traumatized, but we stabilized them pretty quickly. Looks like the shock to your mind was negligible compared to what they felt."

_Negligible? How much worse could it have been?_ "What happened to the voices? I don't hear them anymore."

Peorth's face went very somber at the question. "We modified your files to reduce your spiritual sensitivity as soon as we arrived. You can still hear them if you try."

A shiver ran down her spine as Urd shook her head, as if to shake off any chance that she would hear that horrible chorus again. After a moment, she weakly motioned to her sisters, "What about them? Did you modify their files, too?"

"No, we haven't," Peorth looked at their sleeping forms as well, "Their minds are far too weak right now. It wouldn't be a good idea to make any changes that they might not be able to adapt to."

"So it was fair game to tinker with my files, was it?" Her accusing eyes were fixed squarely on the other Goddess.

The look of surprise at the verbal jab quickly transformed into an indignant smile as Peorth spoke, "What are you complaining about? You were well enough to get the mod, so we did it. You're already starting to get used to it, aren't you?"

"Of course I am," Urd replied. Her vision and her mind were slowly becoming clearer, but her emotions were still swirling wildly. Her lack of control fed her irritation. "That's not the point!"

"Well what is the point, then?"

"The point is that you're a…"

Keiichi jumped into the conversation with a nervous sort of laugh. "Hey, calm down, ladies. You need to take it easy till you've recovered, Urd. Isn't that right, Peorth?"

Peorth didn't say anything, she simply stood and moved to lean against the wall. She crossed her arms and stared to the side, miffed at Urd's near insult.

"They're going to be okay, Urd," Keiichi was quieter than before, "Peorth gave them something to sleep without dreaming, so they can't hear the voices right now." He was doing his best to put up a brave front, but his pained smile gave him away. "They'll be back in Heaven before they wake up. Nobody knows how long they'll have to stay."

Urd quietly observed the young mortal for a moment before squeezing his hand. "Don't worry, Keiichi," she said softly, "She's a strong girl. Bell's going to get that spirit mod and be back here before you know it. You couldn't keep her away from you with a nuclear bomb."

A grin crept onto his lips and a small chuckle escaped him. "Thanks, Urd."

"Lady Peorth," a man had stepped into the doorway. Urd had to squint in order to see that the man bore the blue facial markings of a Celestial. "The gate back will be opening in ten minutes. Are we still only sending those two back."

Their female commander turned toward him, "Those two and yourself."

The God seemed taken aback, "But, but Lady Peorth, there's nothing wrong with me."

Her temper already short, her voice became quite strict. "Nevertheless, you are to escort these two Goddesses back to Heaven, and you will keep them safe until I say otherwise. That means neither one is allowed to come to Earth until I give the word. Do you understand, Gilgamesh?"

His face showed the conflict, he obviously didn't want to go. Duty quickly won out and he bowed slightly, "I understand, Lady Peorth." Moving across the room, he stood between Belldandy and Skuld. He paused for a second, then bowed toward the white haired Goddess. "I'm glad to see you are doing better, Lady Urd." She wasn't sure, but it looked suspiciously like he was blushing slightly.

Urd smiled weakly at the Templar, "Thank you, Gilgamesh. Take good care of them for me, okay?"

He nodded sharply, "I will, Lady Urd." His attention turned to the unconscious Goddesses as he held a glowing hand over each. The glow encircled the two slumbering forms and, raising his hands higher, they lifted gently from the futons.

As he carefully moved toward the hall, Keiichi spoke out uncertainly, "Uh, Sir Gilgamesh?"

The brown haired God stopped, looking over his shoulder. He quietly studied the mortal, waiting to hear what this human wanted to say.

Looking at the college student she leaned on, Urd also waited patiently. She was curious as to what he would say, though she had a few ideas.

Keiichi hesitated before he continued. "When they wake up, would you tell Skuld that I'll buy her the biggest ice cream that she's ever seen the next time I see her. And please tell Belldandy," he paused again, "Tell Belldandy that I love her."

Urd gave a small, knowing sort of laugh as Gilgamesh flashed a huge smile. "I'll be sure to tell them. Don't worry, I'll keep them both safe." Giving one last nod he left, taking Skuld and Belldandy with him.

Keiichi sighed as his love disappeared from sight, but Urd was surprised at how powerful her own sense of loss was. She wanted to be with her sisters. _No, that's not it. I want them to be with me._

"Peorth?" Her voice was tighter than she expected.

"What is it?"

"Could you shut the door when you leave?" she asked quietly, "I'd like to speak with Keiichi."

The other Goddess seemed curious at this, but thankfully didn't raise any questions. "Don't forget to rest," she stated as she stepped outside, "If I wind up needing your help, I'm going to need you at your best."

The door slid shut, and she was left alone in the quiet room with the only human in the temple. She was trembling as she spoke, unable to look Keiichi in the eyes, "If you tell anyone about this, I'll turn you into a toilet."

Before he gave voice to his confusion, she embraced him tightly as she began to cry into his chest. All the fear she had felt, all the loneliness, the anguish and pain she had heard, the terrifying presence she had felt, and being separated from her family. Everything that she had forced away when she awakened was bursting forth, overwhelming her.

She felt Keiichi holding her. "You've been through a lot. Don't worry, I'm sure everything will turn out just fine. We just have to have faith and a little patience." He chuckled a little, "Doesn't that sound like something Bell would say?" It kind of did, but she couldn't stop crying long enough to tell him that. "I'll tell you what, you can sit here and let out whatever you need to let out. After that, we can go out on the porch and I'll make us some tea."

Urd couldn't help but laugh amidst her tears at that. That really did sound like Belldandy. "Okay," she choked out, "but it might be a while."

* * *

Gilgamesh made his way through the temple house, his smile quickly fading as he grumbled under his breath. _Why do I get stuck with this kind of job?_

Other Templars who had made the trip to Earth were bustling around the house, trying to set up their base of operations. As the young God made his way to the front door, others pressed themselves against the wall or backed through a side door to allow him to pass with his two charges.

Finally leaving the building, he stepped out toward the middle of the grounds to wait for the passage to Heaven to open. Glancing around while he waited, he saw several other armed Gods floating this way and that, peering over the wall that surrounded the Temple grounds, while others were starting to inspect their weapons. He found himself annoyed, once again, that he was being forced to leave his comrades as they prepared for battle.

"Hey, Killer," came a lighthearted voice from behind, "You don't look too happy. What's wrong?"

Meeting the eyes of his friend Xander, he let his full disappointment show, "Lady Peorth ordered me to return to Heaven. I'm supposed to watch over these two until they're well, however long that takes."

The blond headed God looked at the two women Gil was carrying, their feet and hands floating slightly lower than the rest of their bodies, as if they were suspended in water. "What are you complaining about? You get to watch over two idol Goddesses at once! I don't see why that would be such a big problem."

"How can you ask that?" The younger Templar sounded exasperated as he explained, "This is the first time in, what, a thousand years that we've been deployed? I'm lucky enough to be sent down here in the first group, and _bam_, I'm sent back to the rear. Whatever happens, I'm gonna miss it while all you guys are down here in the thick of it."

Xander chuckled briefly before saying anything else. "Maybe you should let them down for a bit," he gestured toward the floating pair while removing his green cloak, "From what I hear, they deserve to be as comfortable as we can make them."

Nodding, Gilgamesh accepted this change of subject for the time being. He removed his own blue cloak as he lowered the two unconscious ladies to the soft grass. Xander placed his rolled up cloak under Belldandy's head as Gil folded his and slid it beneath Skuld's. As he looked up, he saw his friend hovering over Belldandy's sleeping face.

"Wow," he said simply, "She's just as beautiful up close, isn't she?"

Shaking his head, Gil smiled as he dropped onto the grass, his arm around his knee, "Listen to you. I thought you were supposed to be in love with Ex."

"I am," the other Templar replied with mock indignation, "I didn't say I had the hots for her, did I? I just said she's a beautiful example of a lady. I think her little sister there is really pretty, too, but that doesn't mean I'm gonna fall for her. It's like window shopping when you have no money."

Gil couldn't help but laugh at the strange analogy. Still, it seemed that Xander was right about something. The Goddess of the Future was quite easy on the eyes, and her peaceful sleep made her almost angelic. Just looking at Skuld was oddly calming to him, like staring into a reflecting pool. He wasn't really sure why he hadn't noticed it before.

He suddenly became aware of his friend, who was now hovering a few inches from his face and wearing a particularly sly grin, "I've heard rumor that she's single."

Gil fell over from surprise. _How'd he sneak up on me like that?_

"She's a lot younger than you," he continued, that odd smile still on his face, "so you may want to ask Lady Belldandy if it's okay before you go and rob the cradle."

"I-I don't know what you're talking about," Gil replied, sitting up and trying to regain his composure, "Besides, she's not _that_ young. She can't be more than three years behind me."

"Oooohhh!" Xander's smile grew, if that was possible, "So maybe you _are_ interested, after all? Well, I don't know why you were so upset about being her bodyguard then. After all, it'll give you two time to get to _know_ one another, if you catch my drift!"

"Stop saying weird stuff! It's not like that at all!" He hadn't finished his tirade, but he left it there as the gate appeared in a swirl of blue above them. Gil shot a dirty look at his friend as they stood, who responded with a smile as the two Goddesses were lifted back into the air.

"You know I was just giving you a hard time," Xander stated as they retrieved their cloaks, "But I don't think it would be a bad idea to give it a try."

Gil stared at his friend for a moment, as the next wave of Templars came out of the gate. "Well," he said, sighing a little, "I guess we'll just have to see."

Xander stepped forward and gave the other God a brotherly hug. "Do me proud, bro."

"Yeah," Gil said as he returned the embrace, "And you be careful down here. Don't be acting the hero without me. You suck at that sort of thing."

"Wouldn't dream of it," the blond haired Templar smirked as they parted. As Gil and the two Goddesses floated up toward the gate, he gave one last wave, "Say hi to Ex for me, would ya?"

Gilgamesh nodded back. "Sure thing. Take care."

"You too, Gil."

* * *

AN:

Well, we're up to chapter four. I'm happy to hear from at least a few readers, but I'm sort of dissappointed at how little response I've been getting. I'm not complaining really, but you guys know what I'm talking about. It's be nice to hear what more of you think so far. Also, don't hesitate to ask questions if anything doesn't make sense. I'll happily respond.

Sorry this chapter is a little on the short side, they will get longer later in the story. Next chapter out next week. Thanks for reading and hopefully reveiwing.

Katamari Damacy


	6. Arc I Chap 05 Kekai Templare

_Arc I: Chapter Five_

_Keikai Templare_

Skuld awakened with a start. The terrifying voices were gone, but she still felt the chills in her soul that they had left behind. Her breathing was rapid but slowing as she unconsciously pulled the white sheet covering her up to her chin.

The young Goddess examined her unfamiliar surroundings. It appeared to be some kind of huge hospital ward. Walls of carved stone reached up to a vaulted ceiling, at least fifteen meters high, with beds lining both sides. The long hall ended on one side with two large, ornate wooden doors, and the other with a balcony that overlooked Heaven's cityscape. The massive room was empty of people except for herself and the sleeping form of Belldandy that occupied the bed next to her own.

As her bare feet touched the cool, polished stone of the floor, she found that someone had changed her clothes. She now wore a plain white cotton dress, simple and comfortable. Slowly she made her way across to her sisters bed, sitting on the edge of it. Skuld held her dear sister's hand in her own as she whispered, "Belldandy? It's me, Skuld."

The Goddess of the Present showed no response.

"Sis, please," her voice held a tinge of worry, "Sis, just tell me you're all right."

"You should let her sleep a while longer," came a voice from behind her.

Skuld looked quickly to see a young God, apparently not much older than she. He stood a little taller than Belldandy. His long dark blue cloak stretched almost to the floor and partially concealed the blue and white armor he wore under it. The long hilt of a sword hung across his hip, the rest hidden under the blue folds of cloth. He stood a few feet away from her sister's bed. Seeming to realize that he had startled her, he smiled a bit and held his hands up, "Don't worry, I'm here to protect both of you."

Skuld's eyes narrowed suspiciously, "Protect us from what?"

He put his hands down, "From yourselves, I suppose. I am here to make sure neither of you return to Earth until you have recovered from your ordeals. You slept for half a day in here. I've just been standing guard." His eyes softened a bit, "I'm trying to help you both." She continued to eye him apprehensively, however. She was still feeling ill at ease from those horrid voices, and this stranger's sudden entrance didn't make her feel any better, even if he was a Celestial.

He seemed at a loss as to what else to say. A frown replaced his attempt at a comforting look. He stood like that for a moment, arms crossed, thinking to himself. Skuld was about to ask him to leave when he suddenly snapped his fingers, and a smile broke out across his face.

"I almost forgot to tell you!" he said excitedly, "Just before we left, a human that was there told me to relay a message to you and Lady Belldandy." Skuld's face went from suspicious to curious. "He told me to tell you that the next time he sees you, he will buy you the biggest ice cream you have ever seen." He looked at her expectantly, a ridiculous smile on his face. She couldn't help but let out a small giggle. _Is he really so happy that he remembered that, or is he just trying to make me feel better?_

The smile suddenly scaled back to an apologetic one, "Er, I forgot to ask him his name. He was short with dark hair. Lady Peorth and Lady Urd seemed to know him quite well."

"Keiichi," she replied, "His name is Keiichi Morisato."

"Keiichi Morisato, eh?" he replied, nodding approvingly, "He seemed like a good man. For a human anyway."

She nodded, vaguely remembering being in his arms, crying and afraid as he tried to comfort her. Did he…" Skuld paused a moment, wondering if she should ask or not. The God's head tilted a little as a curious face appeared. "What did he say to Belldandy?"

His face turned warm, which made her feel good and a little nervous at the same time for some reason. "To Lady Belldandy, he said that he loved her."

She felt her heart flutter a bit, and her happiness showed on her face. _Of course. What else should I expect Keiichi to tell my dear sister?_

The raven haired Goddess stood and moved toward him, "My name is Skuld, Goddess second class, limited." As she spoke she held her hand out to the man before her.

He took her hand gently in both of his, "I am Gilgamesh, Templar of the Second Order. I am at your service, Lady Skuld." Before she realized what was happening, he had knelt and bowed deeply, as if she were royalty.

Skuld quickly pulled her hand back, turning toward to her sister to hide the color that came to her cheeks. _What are you doing, Skuld? So he's being overly polite, what's the big deal!_ "So, umm," she tried to bring a new subject to take her mind off her own embarrassment, "So you're a Templar? I've seen you guys before but I never had the chance to meet one."

He chuckled a little at her words, which quickly changed her embarrassment to annoyance. Spinning back around to face him, she planted her fists on her hips. "What? Did I say something funny?"

"Oh, no Lady Skuld, not at all," he said quickly, holding his hands up in front of him, "In fact, you and your sisters are quite popular among our ranks."

She blinked at him, "Popular? What do you mean?"

"Well, you three have more than a few admirers among the Templar order," Gilgamesh spoke with some light amusement in his voice, "Sort of a fan club. Most Templars would do almost anything just to see one of you smile at them."

Skuld realized her mouth was hanging open and quickly shut it. _A fan club?_ She had always wanted to be treated as an adult, and lately she had been treated as one more and more, but to hear that she was an idol of sorts was more than a little surprising.

"So, are you part of this little 'fan club'?" she asked, suddenly curious.

"Er…well, I suppose," he managed, pretending to examine the wall behind her.

"So who's your favorite?" the Goddess grinned somewhat mischievously. Her tension had disappeared as she watched him fidget with his cloak.

"Well, I always thought very highly of Lady Belldandy," he spoke very rigidly, "but of late, one of her sisters has forced me reconsider that."

Skuld's face scrunched up, as if she smelled something unpleasant. "You know, Urd may act all coy and seductive, but she really isn't very nice once you get to know her." Gilgamesh looked like he was going to say something, but she wasn't finished, "I mean, she's inconsiderate, and rude, and she steals my ice cream all the time, and she always gets drunk, and she's always trying to test out her latest potion, she can't cook, she's messy and loud, she takes forever to take a bath, she blows up the Temple every other week, she always breaks my inventions, and she has horrible taste in clothes."

The God waited for a few seconds, making sure she had finished, before he spoke, "I, uh, wasn't really talking about Lady Urd."

"Oh," she responded simply. Then the cogwheels in her brain clicked and she felt her face start to blaze. Turning back to Belldandy, she considered just what his statement meant. It was fairly simple, but her mind was having a difficult time reacting to it.

After several seconds of self-conscious silence, she came up with her response. Change the subject. "Well…have you spoken to the Healers yet?"

"Yes, I did. Lady Belldandy suffered the most shock out of all of you," he said, seeming to be happy for the new topic as well, "It seems she had her senses opened all the way when it hit. It overloaded her psyche, but the Healers say that she didn't suffer any permanent damage. You both just need to take it easy for a while until your spirit patterns return to normal."

"And how long will that take?" Skuld asked, staring at the unconscious Goddess again.

Gilgamesh had moved to sit on the bed she had awoken in minutes before, "It's hard to say, it could a week or two, probably no longer than a month. It will likely be another day or two before she even wakes up. The Healers will be able to make a better estimate after they talk to her."

She brushed Belldandy's hair with her hand. _Poor sis. I wish I could help you._

"Your other sister, Lady Urd, is still on Earth," he explained, "She bore everything amazingly well. We were all very surprised that she managed to hold her mind together as long as she did. She is a very strong person."

Skuld looked across at him, "Wait, she's still on Earth? How is she able to bear that noise? Did it disappear?"

"No, it is still there," he said solemnly, crossing his arms, "She received a spirit modification as soon as we got there. It reduced her sensitivity, so the voices can barely be heard. We Templars have some degree of control over our own sensitivity, so it wasn't an issue for us, but I can imagine what it must have been like for the three of you."

The voices. She could barely contain a shiver as she remembered the hellish words that they screeched into her mind.

"Because you two had received such a shock," he continued, "Lady Peorth didn't want to risk damage to you, so you will get the mod later, when we're sure you're better."

She felt cold again. Just the thought of what had happened chilled her through and through. "So…what was it? What caused that…whatever it was?"

A sigh escaped Gilgamesh's mouth, "We still don't know very much. We can't tell from up here due to the spiritual overload, so we had to send teams down. I was in the first team, the one that came to your temple. We could tell we were relatively close, probably within two hundred miles of the center of that tempest. It was sheer luck that we came that close to begin with. I've heard that part of the team is preparing to travel to the origin of the disturbance on foot, but I was given orders to escort you and your sister back to Heaven, and to keep you both safe."

He seemed a little disappointed that he wasn't still down there, marching toward the showdown with that evil force, "I have been in touch with Lady Ceres at Yggdrasil, she says nothing has changed there since the system stabilized. They are still repairing some of the damage to different parts of the system, but nothing critical, according to her."

"She also said that there seemed to be some odd activity in Hell. We are pretty sure that they weren't the ones who started all this, since they seem to be having some trouble as well. Other than that, Lady Ceres wouldn't say much. Said it wasn't an issue to us. But what bugs me is if the demons didn't do this, then what the heck did? It's not like there's much on Earth that's capable of something this powerful."

Skuld took all the information in. They barely knew anything more than they did when all of this started. A shiver ran down her spine, and she couldn't hide the fright that the memories of that unholy chorus brought to her.

A hand gently gripped her shoulder as the young Templar knelt before her. "I know you can't forget what happened to you down there so quickly," he said in a quiet voice, "but you don't need to be afraid now. On my Honor, I will protect you from all harm, Lady Skuld."

For a moment, the feelings of fear and uneasiness left her, and she smiled as well as she could manage. "Thank you, but you don't have to call me 'Lady'," she touched his hand briefly, "Just Skuld is fine with me."

He smiled and stood up slowly, "You really should rest some more. You need to be strong for your sister, until she recovers." With that, he turned and walked toward the balcony that looked out in the direction of the large, egg shaped tower that was the home of Yggdrasil, his footsteps echoing through the hall where Skuld and Belldandy remained.

She found herself hoping for the success of that group of Templars that were heading to the center of the disturbance. She prayed that they would march in and simply put an end to this evil that so terrified her. Unfortunately, being the Goddess with domain over the future held its downsides, and she had a horrible feeling that things wouldn't be so easy as that.

* * *

"Can you guys still hear me up there?" came the male voice.

"We can hear you," Ceres said from her command chair at Yggdrasil, "Just a little static in the subspace transmissions. How do you read us, Xander?"

"There's a lot of noise down here," replied the Templar 'radio operator', "Those voices are getting pretty obnoxious."

Ceres looked down to the three Goddesses seated before her, "Ex, see if you can boost our transmission any more."

"Yes, Ma'am," the Goddess at the center console began her work.

_It's amazing_, Ceres thought to herself, _this is the operation that would end this disturbance. Everyone here is on edge, worried about how things will turn out. Even though those three have been here for almost a day straight, with only two hours of sleep, they still work as fast as ever._

"Beta team, we have boosted the subspace transmission power," Ex spoke, "How do you hear us now?"

_But then, I've been here for almost as long. Hopefully this will be over soon, and we can all have a few days to relax._

"Is that Ex?" the warrior's voice seemed to grow a little mischievous, "Hey, are we still on for dinner this Friday?"

The chuckles of other Gods could be heard over the transmitter, as could the giggles of most of the Goddesses in the control area. Ex sat with her mouth open for a moment while her face went red from embarrassment.

"Xander!" she scolded, "This is a mission, and this line is open for everyone to hear!"

"So is that a no?" came the man's amused reaction. Ex turned five shades darker as Ere and Chrono covered their mouths, trying hard not to laugh out loud. Even Ceres herself was having a hard time maintaining her composure.

The mortified Goddess whispered loudly, "We'll talk about this when you get back!"

A group of Templars near Xander could be heard saying "Uh-oh!" which gave rise to a new wave of giggles back at Yggdrasil.

Ceres smiled and shook her head, "Alright, that will be enough."

"Sorry, Lady Ceres," came Xander's apology, still holding a hint of the previous laughter.

"Chrono, how much longer until they reach the objective area?" she asked in a serious tone.

"Stand by," the Goddess at the left console, also back to business, began to calculate at lightening speed, "At their present rate of flight, they will reach the objective area in seven minutes."

Ceres sat back in her chair. She probably should have stopped the exchange sooner, but there was no real harm in a little friendly repartee. It had been almost ten hours since anyone had taken a break. Besides, Ceres had not been aware that Ex's boyfriend was a Templar, let alone on this mission. If the brown haired Goddess had known beforehand, she might have called in someone to relieve Ex. It was a little late for that, however.

_None of the Templars seem to hold any worry in their voices at all. This must feel like a nice Sunday drive to them. After all their training, this group of the best Templars in Heaven finally has their chance to shine_. The brown haired Goddess smirked for a moment. _Up here you can feel the tension in the air. It's funny how we aren't in any danger at all, yet at the same time, we are the ones who worry most for their safety._

Another crackle of static, "Okay, we are within two kilometers. We're dropping down and continuing on foot."

"Roger, Beta team," she said, sitting up straighter in her chair. The time was getting close, and she felt the nervousness dancing in her stomach.

The entire hall started to quiet down. All the Goddesses present knew what was happening, and they stopped all but the most simple of tasks so that they would hear everything.

"Closing on target, estimate one minute to visual range," the Templar's voice reflected how much more focused he had become at the proximity of his objective. Ceres imagined that all thirty of the First Order Templars had become as sharp as a razor's edge.

"Beta team," Ceres had allowed her voice to soften, "Our prayers are with you. May Fortune smile on you all."

"Roger," the static was getting worse, "thanks girls."

The seconds ticked by. Chrono brought up a visual of the area they were in, but very little was discernable. The spiritual energy that shorted out the system before was still there, so all the scanners had greatly reduced capacities to avoid another overload.

The bird's eye view of the landscape showed little but swirling and billowing mists. A series of blue icons represented each of the Gods in Beta Team. They seemed to be in a loose formation, making their way toward the center of the swirling mist.

"Visibility worse than expected," came the static filled voice of Xander, "Team leader has ordered us to move in closer."

Ceres knew that the danger for the team increased the closer they got to the center of the disturbance. She wanted to tell them to turn around, but she knew she had neither the justification nor the authority to do so. All she could do was wait and see.

"They are within one kilometer of the center, according to my calculations," Ere spoke up. The hall was nearly silent now.

"Those voices just got louder all of a sudden," Xander had raised his voice, apparently to overcome the spiritual noise emanating from the objective, though the transmission had not degraded at all. Everyone in the control center had stopped whatever they were doing now. "Something doesn't feel right."

_Please, Almighty_, she prayed, _let them be alright._

There was complete silence for a few more seconds. Many of the Goddesses held their hands together in prayer. Static from the radio was the only sound in the hall. What happened next was engraved in the memory of every Goddess in the room, never to be forgotten.

"Garin?" came the static filled voice, speaking to his fellow Templars, "Where's Garin?"

As he spoke, a new, red icon appeared near them. Then two more. Then five more.

"What the hell?" he was alarmed now, "Target on the left flank!"

The new unknowns were appearing everywhere on the map, all around the Templar's position. Ceres was frozen for a moment, then yelled to them, "Get out of there! It's an ambush! Get out now!"

The sounds coming from Earth quickly became louder and more cluttered. The battle cry of a Templar here, the chanting of an attack program there, the clash of steel against steel resounding through the cavernous control room. "Barbarus, behind you!" Xander yelled. Soon after came a cry of pain, "No, Barbarus! Damn it!"

The blue icons that represented the Templars were blinking out, one by one. One of the attack programs flashed powerfully, momentarily whiting out the screen. At the same time a huge explosion could be heard over the static filled communication.

"Xander, listen to me," Ceres managed to keep most of the fear she felt out of her voice, "Xander, escape! I am giving you a direct order! Get out of there now!"

All they got for a response were the grunts of the young God as he fought whatever was down there, and the blood chilling screams of the things as they were destroyed by him. Then, "I can't…_graah_…I can't see any of the others! I can't leave without them! Ceres?"

The Goddess couldn't believe what was happening. _This can't be! Almighty, this can't be true!_ "Xander! We've lost everyone else! You have to get away now!"

"Damn you!" he yelled over the hiss of another dying creature, "I'm on my way! I'm getting out of..." His speech stopped abruptly.

"Xander?" Ceres called, "Xander? Are you all right?"

Suddenly a cry of agony rang out, then the pain-tempered voice of the Templar spoke, "Ex, I...I'm sorry." Everyone turned to the trembling Goddess at the center console.

"I was going to ask…Friday." The sounds of hissing and growling could be heard getting louder and louder. "I wanted to tell you…I love you…" The communication ended abruptly. The static that they had grown used to disappeared with it. On the screen, the final Templar's blue icon vanished.

Ex began to shake all over, her mouth soundlessly wording "No," over and over. Her friends, Ere and Chrono, moved to hold her as the tears came.

Others in the control center bowed their heads in sorrow, or sank to the ground in shock and disbelief at what had just transpired. Thirty of Heaven's best, dead just like that. And they could do nothing but listen as it happened.

Ceres found herself wiping tears away as she leaned forward in her chair, elbows on her knees, and gave a silent prayer for the brave warriors that had been lost. And for the ones who lost them.

The only sound in the hall was now the hysterical cries of a devastated soul.

* * *

AN: 

I don't know how exactly it happened, but apparently more people have read chapter 5 than have read chapter 4. I wonder if people are accidentally skipping a chapter when I put up two chaps in the span of a day or two.

Also, just so everyone knows, I'm imagining Skuld to be about 15 yrs old (in appearance anyway), and Gilgamesh to be around 18. I got a question about that and figured there are probably more of you who were wondering also.

Thank you for reading, and double thanks to my reviewers. Next chapter will probably be out Saturday.

Katamari Damacy


	7. Arc I Chap 06 From the Sky

_Arc I: Chapter Six_

_When He Fell From the Sky_

"Overcast again," Keiichi mumbled to himself, staring at the angry sky.

It had looked as if it would rain ever since she left, and yet not a single drop had fallen. The dark clouds had only swirled about overhead, hanging low and giving the feeling that even the forces of nature had been filled with the fear and anxiety that had so affected Belldandy only the day before.

The depressing atmosphere was wearing on the college student, and today he was feeling as lethargic as ever. If it hadn't been for Urd threatening him, he would never have gone to classes this day. He knew that she wanted him to keep his mind occupied, and he knew that it was for the best, but he wasn't so sure that it was really helping. Rather than wallowing in depression, he constantly felt as if he should be doing something to help, but he had no idea what.

"Hey, Keiichi?"

Turning away from the slowly churning clouds overhead, he looked behind him to see someone trotting across the university parking lot. "Oh, hey, Megumi. What's up?"

She frowned at her older brother's dull response. "Are you alright, Kei? You sound like you're pretty bummed out about something."

He shook his head as the pair continued to where his motorcycle was parked. "It's no big deal. Things have just been a little weird recently."

She arched an eyebrow at his answer, "Weird? What's that mean? And where's Belldandy, anyway? I would have thought she'd be trying to cheer you up right about now."

"Well," he began, trying to think of a good excuse, "something came up. She and Skuld had to go home for a while."

"Really?" She nodded as she spoke, giving the impression that things were coming together in her mind. "Was it some kind of emergency or something?"

"Yeah." His little sister, along with everyone else that he knew, was completely unaware that Belldandy and her sisters were not human. Ever since Bell had first entered his life years before, he had been careful to ensure that nobody found out. "We're not really sure when they'll get a chance to come back home. We'll just have to wait and see, I suppose."

"So that's it," Megumi smiled sympathetically at her big brother, "I'm sure she'll be back soon enough. She doesn't like it when you're apart any more than you do." He looked over as she gave him a light pat on the shoulder, "Maybe I'll come by and keep you company."

Keiichi's eyes went wide as he imagined her walking into a swarm of warrior Gods. "No, no you don't have to do that, Megumi!" She blinked at his abrupt and insistent reaction. He tried not to sound nervous as his brain cranked out possible excuses. "Eh, I mean, you've got those two exams this week, don't you?" He was feeling very transparent as she eyed him suspiciously. "Besides, I've got to work on my bike. I fixed that stuck valve, but it still runs a little rough when it's idling." _This isn't going to work._

"Oh, that reminds me," she snapped her fingers as her brain instantly shifted gears, "Chihiro asked me if I had seen you today. She said that part you ordered came in, and she left it at the Motor Club for you, since she wouldn't see you for a few days."

"Oh, thanks," he said, veering off to his right, "I guess I should go pick it up before I go home."

"Mind if I tag along? I wanted to talk to Sora if she's there." Megumi seemed intent on sticking with him until she was convinced that he had cheered up. She really was a good sister.

"Sure, let's go."

Megumi made no effort to strike up further conversation, something that Keiichi was thankful for. It seemed that she understood his wish to simply wander in his thoughts as they made their way across campus to the NIT Motor Club's house. It was actually the old club building, as the newer one still had some repairs left, thanks to Otaki's failed fire-breather act.

The old building, which somewhat resembled two large shipping containers set side by side, was surrounded by bits and pieces of various machines. A half assembled motorcycle sat under a nearby tree, and a simple wooden sign sitting upright next to the door announced that this dubious looking construct was the home of the Nekomi Institute of Technology's Motor Club.

"Hello?" he called out as he opened the door, "Anybody here? Sora, Tamiya-sempai?" Only the quiet whirr of the small refrigerator across the single room answered him as they closed the door behind them.

"That's odd," Megumi mused, turning on the light and looking around, "There's usually at least one or two people around here after classes. I wonder where everybody's at?"

_It's just as well. I'd rather not have to keep explaining to everyone about Bell being gone._ Crossing to the desk against the far wall, he sifted through the various boxes, greasy parts, and blueprints for a vehicle that he thought looked like a three wheeler with the single wheel in the back. _I sure hope they don't plan on me racing something like that._ Thinking for a moment, he shook his head with a half hearted smile. _Of course they'll want me to race it. And somehow I'll wind up doing it, just like always._

"Hey, is that it, Keiichi?" Megumi pointed to a small box near the refrigerator. It bore a small note in Chihiro's handwriting.

_K1,_

_Here's the part you wanted._

_Enjoy your time off this weekend._

_Chihiro_

_P.S. – Be sure to bring the money_

_for this when you come back to _

_work on Monday!_

"Business first, eh?" Keiichi couldn't help but chuckle. "Well, I guess that's it, Megumi. Let's get going before…"

"Morisato!"

The sudden yell that filled the clubhouse and almost gave Keiichi a heart attack could have originated in the mouth of only one man, and it was that very man he saw when he turned around. "T-Tamiya-sempai! Where'd you come from?"

Tamiya, the co-leader of the Motor Club, was a bear of a man, standing head and shoulders over almost anyone else on campus. As muscular and huge as he was, he had an uncanny ability to appear and disappear the moment Keiichi turned away. This time he had appeared just off Keiichi's right shoulder, his eyes seeming to burn as he very nearly growled, "Morisato, what happened to Miss Belldandy? You didn't upset her, did you? Cuz if you did…"

_What kind of conclusion is he jumping to?_ "Er, no, not really," he began, still shocked at Tamiya's sudden appearance in a room that had, until a matter of seconds prior, held only Megumi and himself. "What I mean is, she had to _gurk!_"

The large man had grabbed the smaller man in mid-sentence, lifting him over both shoulders into some sort of wrestling move, and began to yell. "Morisato! How could you do this?"

"Yeah!" yelled the blond haired Otaki, the other co-leader of the club. He had appeared quite suddenly next to a startled Megumi, shaking his fist and wearing the strange smile he always displayed. "Miss Belldandy is like our Goddess of Good Luck!"

Keiichi might have laughed at Otaki's unintentional labeling of Bell as a Goddess, but the humor was completely lost on him as he struggled in vain to free himself. He tried to explain that it was a misunderstanding, but could only manage to grunt a few times.

"Wait a minute, Sempai!" Megumi had to yell to be heard over Tamiya's yells and her brother's pained cries. "Belldandy just had to go back home for a while! She'll probably be back in a couple weeks!"

Tamiya looked at her in surprise, as if he had just noticed she was there. "Oh," he said simply, calm as a reflecting pool. Keiichi found himself unceremoniously dumped in the middle of the floor, groaning as he struggled to turn over on his back. "Walk it off, Morisato! You're supposed to be a man!"

Keiichi rolled his eyes in frustration. "I thought I was gonna die."

Without warning, two sounds echoed through the room. The first sounded like something skidding across the roof, something metal. The second, coming only an instant later, was the resonant vibration of a heavy impact. A rain of bits of wood and splinters of ceiling tiles filled the air as Megumi let out a yelp and Keiichi clamped his eyes shut, coughing from the dust cloud descending on him.

"Good God, Keiichi!" cried his sister, "Are you alright?"

As the visibility cleared, Keiichi could do little besides laying flat on his back. He stared wide eyed and open mouthed at the thing that had very nearly ended his life.

A long, thin sliver of metal, apparently the curved blade of an absurdly long Japanese style sword, extended from a buckled spot in the ceiling. It stretched all the way down to the silvery tip, which came close enough to Keiichi's nose that he was going cross eyed trying to focus on it. "Kei! Are you hurt?" Megumi had rushed over to kneel beside him, "It didn't hit you, did it?"

"Cool, Morisato!" Otaki sounded very impressed as he pulled his underclassman out from beneath the blade. "You didn't even flinch! I guess you're a man after all!"

It wasn't long before he was struggling to maintain his balance as Tamiya began to knock the debris from the shorter man. The muscle bound senior actually had tears in his eyes. "I'm proud uh ya, Morisato. You've learned well from us."

Keiichi wasn't convinced that the praise being heaped upon him was really a good thing, but he managed a crooked smile. "Uh, th-thanks, guys."

"So what is that thing?" Megumi asked, relieved that her brother was unharmed.

The two upperclassmen crossed their arms and stared up and down at the shining blade, making grunting noises as they considered it. Finally nodding, the two turned back toward the siblings. "It looks like ah really long sword," Tamiya stated, as if he'd solved the case.

"Yeah, and it's coming through the ceiling," added Otaki, "and there's a dent up there where it's stuck through at, which can only mean one thing."

Tamiya nodded, speaking ominously, "There's somethin else up on da roof."

Keiichi sighed at their analysis. "Thanks, guys. I don't know what we'd do without you." He did his best not to sound sarcastic.

Making their way outside, Megumi asked, "Do you guys have a ladder here?"

As they all looked up at the flat roof, Keiichi shook his head. "No, the only one we have is at the new clubhouse, and that's halfway across campus. Maybe we can ask one of the groundskeepers to borrow one."

"What do you need a ladder for?" Otaki queried.

Tamiya grunted his approval, "Yeah, you got us, don't ya?"

Keiichi had an ominous feeling that danger was approaching, something that was confirmed when he looked over his shoulder. Before he could get out a protest, the two men had grabbed him from both sides. "Tuck and roll, Morisato!"

Otaki's advice was the last thing said before Keiichi was launched skyward. The unprepared young man tried to do as he was told, but only managed to flop heavily onto the roof, one leg still hanging over the edge. _What the hell was that? _Grimacing, he wondered to himself if his sempai would ever stop to think about his health. _Probably not. They really are going to kill me one day._

Pushing himself up, he scanned for the source of the disturbance from before and immediately found it. There, in the middle of the roof, was the handle of the Japanese style sword. Next to it was the unmoving body of a man.

He was face down, his hand next to the weapon that had almost killed Keiichi. A long black trench coat was fastened tightly around his waist, black pants and boots underneath. Two metal plates covered his shoulders, and the long white hair that had fallen haphazardly around him was tinted with dark red streaks. As Keiichi approached he saw many more spots of the same color, glistening wet, all over the man.

Carefully turning the stranger over, Keiichi hoped that he wasn't dead. There were more wounds on his bare chest and his legs, huge gashes as well as numerous smaller cuts and bruises. He was even more shocked, however, to see the man's face. Three blue marks stood out amidst the crimson, each shaped like a rounded 'V'. One mark under the corner of each eye, and one centered on his forehead.

_He's a God! What the hell happened to him?_ Quickly checking the unmoving form, he was relieved to find that he was still breathing, but Keiichi didn't know how much longer he would last. Quickly deciding that he needed to get him back to Urd and Peorth, he called over his shoulder. "Sempai! Get a ladder! This guy's hurt bad! Help me get him down!"

As the mortal began to drag the injured God toward the edge of the roof, Tamiya and Otaki had somehow already found a ladder and were standing next to the sword. They were tugging and straining, trying to pull the weapon from the roof of their clubhouse. Keiichi might have snickered at the sight if someone's life wasn't in the balance. "What are you two doing? Hurry up and help me get him down!"

Otaki shrugged and started over to help. Tamiya, on the other hand, scowled at the sword with all the anger he could muster. "Just come outta our house, will ya?" With a mighty yell, he kicked the handle of the massive weapon. It again refused to budge, but seconds later began to lean. Faster and faster it moved as the three humans looked on. Keiichi found himself questioning his knowledge of physics as the blade somehow sliced through the roof and wall as it fell to the ground.

After some effort the three men managed to bring the wounded Celestial off the roof. Otaki carried the white haired God on his back as they all made their way to the parking lot at Keiichi's direction. Arriving at his BMW, they secured the God in the sidecar as Keiichi put on his gloves.

"Wouldn't it be better if we just called an ambulance?" Megumi asked.

Keiichi hesitated as he reached for his helmet. _She thinks I'm taking him to the hospital. I guess that would be the natural assumption, wouldn't it?_ "Well, you know me, Megumi. I can outrun an ambulance any day of the week." He smiled nervously, hoping she would believe him.

"Morisato!" Keiichi dropped his helmet as Tamiya bellowed right behind him. "Here, tell him to watch where he's stickin dis thing from now on. And tell him that he owes us for da damages to tha clubhouse!"

He looked to see his sempai securing the huge sword between the bike and the sidecar with several pieces of chain. The curved blade was protruding out almost a meter in front of the motorcycle. Laughing weakly as he donned his helmet, he nodded, "Yeah, I'll be sure to tell him."

Jumping onto the seat, he revved the engine. _Jeez, I've wasted too much time. I hope I can make it in time to help him._ Glancing down at the sword, nearly twice the length of his vehicle, he shook his head. _I hope I don't kill anyone with this thing, either._

Grabbing the clutch lever, he tapped his foot on the gear pedal and throttled up. He gave a confident smile to Megumi, who had a somewhat worried expression, and released the clutch. His rear tire gave a brief chirp before gripping the asphalt, and he tore out of the parking lot.

* * *

"I'm not sure I can picture Lady Urd doing that sort of thing to your inventions," Gilgamesh grinned at the young Goddess sitting across from him.

They were sitting on stools set up on either side of the sleeping Belldandy's bed, talking about life on Earth. It was actually the first time that the two had really spoken since she had first awakened.

"You wouldn't say that if you knew her," Skuld sniffed. "When I was little, she would force me to make machines that were completely useless." She scowled at the memory, gritting her teeth as she angrily recalled the last time her eldest sibling had tortured her so.

Gil seemed somewhat confused by her last statement, but she didn't notice. Her mind was too busy thinking up a good way to get back at Urd when they finally returned to Earth.

"So, ah," the God spoke up, apparently trying to cheer the irritated Skuld. "What about Lady Belldandy? How does she react to your inventions?"

Flowers began to bloom in Skuld's mind as she thought of the smiling face of her dear sister. The black haired Goddess almost sighed as she answered him. "She's always so supportive, and she always smiles at me, even when outside forces cause a malfunction."

"Outside forces?" Gilgamesh seemed somewhat dubious of this, but was ignored as she looked down at the sleeping Goddess.

"Belldandy sometimes brings me ice cream when I'm working and I forget to come to dinner." She reached out and took her sisters limp hand in her own, smiling warmly. "Sometimes she understands my inventions better than I do. I hope that someday I can be as wonderful and kind a person as she is."

She was startled out of her reverent thoughts as Gilgamesh jumped to his feet. Within a fraction of a second the great wooden doors opened at the end of the room. Looking over her shoulder to see who had burst into the room with such little regard for the noise they made, she was a little surprised to see a Goddess even younger than herself running toward them.

The girl, who looked to be ten or twelve, finally stopped at the foot of Belldandy's bed, struggling to catch her breath as she spoke. "Lord Gilgamesh, Lady Skuld," she nodded to each of them. "I bring an urgent message from Lady Ere at Yggdrasil." The red haired messenger seemed agitated beyond just carrying an important message.

Skuld met the eyes of the young Templar as they looked apprehensively at one another. She suddenly felt an uneasy chill pass through her, and she knew that she wouldn't want to know what this girl had been entrusted with. "What is the message?" Gilgamesh finally asked.

"The mission to stop the disturbances on Earth has failed." Her voice wavered as she spoke. "Bravo team was destroyed. We're still searching, but there is no evidence that anyone survived."

The black haired Goddess, her fears confirmed, leaned heavily on her sisters bed. _How could this have happened? _The long, bed lined corridor was silent as these words sunk in. After several long seconds, a quiet voice could be heard.

"Impossible." Gilgamesh was very pale, his eyes wide and focused on, as far as Skuld could tell, nothing. "You can't expect us to believe that thirty First Order Templars were just slaughtered by some damn thing we don't even know about!" His voice was steadily rising as his words became more heated. "It's not possible!"

The young messenger was shrinking back from the God as his reason began to falter. Quickly lifting off the ground, Skuld floated between Gilgamesh and the frightened girl. "Calm down and stop yelling, your scaring her!"

"Three of my best friends might be dead, and you want me to calm down?"

"It doesn't give you the right to take out your feelings on an innocent girl! You're supposed to be a man, act like one!" The two stared angrily at each other. Skuld thought he would yell something else at her, but instead he just walked past her and toward the balcony, not saying another word.

The red haired messenger girl looked quite worried as she watched the warrior God move down the long room. "Lady Skuld, did I make him angry?"

Skuld tried to smile as she patted the younger Goddess on the shoulder. "It wasn't you. Like he said, some of those Templars were his friends."

She nodded at the response as she stared at his silhouette against the sky of Heaven. "It's so cruel. Would you tell him that I'll pray for his friends?"

Skuld blinked at the sudden request, then nodded. "What's your name?"

"Goddess Trainee Arimeia," she replied. "I was supposed to be taking my final exams to get my license in two weeks. It doesn't seem very important right now, though."

"Thank you for delivering the message, Arimeia, and thank you for your prayers. I'm sure he'll appreciate them." The girl nodded and quietly turned to leave, but Skuld didn't watch her go. Her eyes were upon the Templar out on the stone balcony.

She still wore the white cotton hospital dress that she had awakened in, and her bare feet made no sound as she approached the brooding God. Even so, he spoke to her before she had reached his side. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay," she replied quietly as she placed her hands on the smooth stone railing. "I yelled, too. I guess it's pretty hard to not know if, well, uh, never mind."

"One of those men down on Earth is like a brother to me." Skuld looked up at the God as his grave voice filled the silence between them. "Can you imagine what it would be like to loose a sibling to something like this?"

These words struck the Goddess deeply, so much so that a tear rolled down her cheek before she could bring herself to speak again. _What if it was Belldandy who was missing after a battle? Or Urd? Could I handle it as well as he is? How can he stand it?_ "Arimeia said that she would be praying for your friends." He simply nodded, but she could tell that it meant a great deal to him.

_Urd, Belldandy, I don't ever want to loose them!_ It was all starting to hit her now. Her emotions began to swirl as she thought of the men who perished. Templars whose faces she had never seen, voices she would never hear. Gods who might have belonged to that fan club that Gilgamesh had told her about. People who had come to the end of their story without giving a proper goodbye to the ones they loved.

Turning to look over her shoulder, she felt a strong urge to run back to Belldandy. She wanted to take hold of her dear sister's hand and never let go. She needed to go to Bell, but she didn't want to leave Gilgamesh alone. Reaching out, she grabbed the God's sleeve. "You should come back inside. It'd be bad to be by yourself right now, right?"

His eyes widened in surprise as she spoke, and she felt her face get hot as he looked at her. A pained smile quickly came over his features as he looked to the side. "You go on ahead, I need to think for a little while." She felt his hand cover the one she held his sleeve with before he spoke again. "Thank you."

"S-Sure," she responded before swiftly walking back into the ward. Her speed quickened as she struggled to quell her fears and sorrow. Even though she was running full out halfway down the row of beds, she was already sobbing by the time she buried her face in the sheets of Belldandy's mattress.

* * *

Keiichi received a great deal of strange looks as he rushed home, but he made excellent time. Anyone who noticed the piece of metal protruding in front of him generally gave him plenty of room.

Occasionally sparing a second to glance at his passenger, Keiichi became more and more worried as time passed. There was so much blood on the God's face, it was difficult to tell if he looked better or worse.

His tires gave a squeal as he rounded a tight curve and accelerated up the final hill. Seeing the gate to his home, he gave a silent thank you to the Almighty that no policemen had seen him during the trip. _How on Earth would I have explained all this?_

He came screeching into the temple yard, causing two Templars to leap out of his path. Scattering rocks and gravel everywhere as he slid to a stop, the dust was still lingering in the air when Urd and Peorth came running out of the house. They spied the unconscious God before Keiichi had a chance to point him out.

"What the hell happened?" Urd yelled as they came to a stop next to the sidecar.

"He's badly hurt," he said as he hurriedly pulled off his helmet. "I got him here as fast as I could."

Peorth had been holding a faintly glowing palm over the bloody form as they spoke. Looking up at Urd, she nodded, then turned to the two Gods he had almost run over seconds before. "You two get him inside quickly!" Turning back to Urd, she grimaced, "It's bad. I'll try a healing program, but I'm not as good as Belldandy. He'll need something else to help him heal."

Urd nodded, "Give me ten minutes. I'll mix a poultice that will help stabilize him." She turned and flew into the house, rushing to begin her alchemical work.

Peorth turned back to the human. "Tell me what happened, Keiichi."

"He crashed into the Motor Club building. By the time we got to him on the roof, he was already unconscious." Turning his head, he watched as the God was gently lifted out of the sidecar. "He was like that when I got up there." Peorth listened intently, then nodded, following the two Templars as they carried him into the temple. "Do you know who he is, Peorth? Who is he?"

Peorth stopped, not answering for a moment. Slowly turning her head, she spoke gravely over her shoulder. "His name is Sephiroth, First Order Templar, Special Class. He is the leader of the failed mission to stop the disturbances, and the only survivor that we know of."

* * *

AN: 

Just so everyone knows, yes Sephiroth is from Final Fantasy VII. This version of him, however, is fully integrated into the OMG world. In other words, it's not like he just got teleported from FF7, so don't expect him to act like he did in the game.

Oh, before I forget. I am aware that Peorth has that whole French accent thing going, but my one class of French almost 10 years ago has failed me. If you want, you can just imagine it, I guess.

Hope you are all enjoying. Next chapter may be delayed since I will have to work into next weekend. We'll have to see how it goes.

Katamari Damacy


	8. Arc I Chap 07 Pain of the Heart

Sorry this is late, I was busy getting rained on in the middle of nowhere most of the weekend (don't ask). Anyway, on with the story.

* * *

_  
Arc I: Chapter Seven_

_The Pain in Her Heart, The Pain in His Heart_

His face stung as the branches whipped at him in his rush to pass. His chest hurt to the point that even breathing was difficult, and his whole body was screaming at him to stop. He couldn't bring himself to pause, however.

He was too afraid to stop.

Israfel had never been one to scare easily. In fact, one could say that part of his job was to frighten others into making bad decisions. This terror was on a totally different level, something he never would have imagined in his three centuries of life, and the fact that he was so afraid angered him greatly.

The sweat pouring down his face was getting in his eyes again. He quickly dragged his charcoal colored sleeve across his eyes and yelled out in surprise as his footing suddenly gave way. Tumbling down a rocky hillside, it was as if he managed to hit every tree and sharp stone on the way down.

Finally sliding to a stop a few seconds before the surrounding rocks and gravel that had followed him, he groaned miserably at his misfortune. Hadn't he suffered enough? Did dealing with the maddening voices count for nothing? _Should I just give up and be taken like the others?_ He shivered at the thought. No, even if he had to kill himself in the most excruciating way, he would never surrender to the horror that had attacked.

He could feel cuts on his shaved head, and he knew that dust, grit, and sweat had penetrated into his goatee as deeply as it had his dark colored tunic. He tried to move his sprawled form, willed himself to keep moving lest his enemy find him, but he could not. His muscles had turned to soft rubber and would not listen. Not even his memories of what had happened could persuade his arms and legs. He could only stare at the darkening, cloud filled sky and try to catch his breath.

The constant noise raging at the edge of his mind was difficult to push back, but at least that was one thing he had been successful at. At first, it had been almost incapacitating, but as the hours passed he grew more used to pushing the voices away. His brain still throbbed from the effort, but he was learning to quell the torrent of screams and cries.

A nearby rustling made Israfel hold his breath, fearing he would be found. Another rustle and the crunching sound of footfalls on the gravelly dirt and fallen leaves engaged his urgent desire to flee. This urgent fear drove him upward, unsteadily scrambling away only to fall seconds later.

"Israfel! Is that you?"

The familiar voice gave him pause. Daring to hope, he turned and saw a face as worn and exhausted as his own. Flopping over on his rear, he barely managed to stay upright as he let out a relieved sigh.

"It is you!" The other man said, sounding badly winded. "I thought you were a gonner after those things got around behind you."

"Damn it, Unowe," Israfel finally managed to swallow the huge lump of terror in his throat. "I thought you were one of them just now. If I still had any power left, I would have blasted your ass."

Ignoring the comment, Unowe wiped the sweat from his dirty and scraped up brow. "Do you know what happened to any of the others?"

"No," the bald man answered, "I got out of there by myself. I know others got out before me, but I don't have a clue where they could have gone."

"I ran into a couple others here and there," Unowe was finally beginning to catch his breath. "They said that some of us are gathering North of here. I forget the name of the place, but they gave me a map and told me to bring anyone else I found."

"Are they planning on going back?"

"I don't know," the other man replied, "But I'm sure we will eventually. Revenge is pretty high on everyone's minds right now."

"Sounds good to me," he nodded, "Just give me a few more minutes to rest."

"I heard something else, too," Unowe noted, "I heard one of the survivors is planning on making contact with the Celestials."

"What? Who the hell would do something that stupid?"

"Not sure, I heard a couple different names." He shrugged as he spoke. "It could all just be nothing more than a rumor."

"I would hope so," Israfel stated emphatically. "With something this big going on they might have sent Templars to Earth. Those psychos would as soon take out one of us as blink!"

"I don't think we need the Templar's to help with that," Unowe said solemnly, "With the way things are going, it looks like we're going to get taken out anyway."

They were quiet for a moment, contemplating this statement. It held far too much truth for Israfel's taste. Groaning as he forced his muscles to work, he stood, scowling at the slowly swirling clouds overhead.

"You may be right, Unowe," he growled, his deep red eyes burning with hatred, "but I'm gonna make sure it costs them big time, and I'm gonna carve my payment outta their hides."

* * *

The gentle wind rustled the thousands of green leaves overhead. The branches of the great trees on either side of them swayed slowly and the bright blue sky held only the occasional wisp of cloud. The pleasantly cool air carried with it the light scent of wildflowers. It was a lovely day in Heaven, but the beauty of the scene was lost on some.

"Did you just say something?"

Skuld looked at the Templar who walked beside her with some annoyance, "I said you don't have to come watch over me everywhere I go. It's not like I'm eager to go back to Earth right now."

Gilgamesh turned his head back to the tree bordered stone path they were walking on. "That's not why I came with you," he replied. "You aren't the only one who wants to offer their sympathies."

Her voice dropped. "Oh, so you're friends with Ex, too? I didn't know."

His eye twitched slightly. "I know her. We see each other a lot when we go out with friends."

Gilgamesh was relieved when the young Goddess didn't press her questions any farther. They continued their walk in silence, while he went over in his head exactly what he was going to say when he got there. He knew that there would be no easy way to do this, and that made him more grateful that he wasn't going alone.

He glanced sideways at the raven haired girl walking beside him. She had changed into her Goddess robes, a cherry blossom color with red trim. She wore a golden ring around her neck and a thin silver bracelet on her left wrist. Walking with her hands together at the small of her back, she was looking solemnly at the green leaves that reached overhead.

The God felt conflicted. He and Skuld had not spoken much beyond those moments after Arimeia had brought the message from Yggdrasil. They didn't have the time. When they found out that the entire team under Lord Sephiroth had been lost, it hit him like a thunderbolt. So many of his friends were gone, just like that. It all seemed too surreal.

And while all this happened on Earth, he was stuck in Heaven watching over this girl and her sister. He knew he wouldn't have been on the mission anyway, but he still wanted to be there, facing the threat with all his fellow Templars. With his best friend, his brother. Something in him knew that he should resent the fact that he was here, safe and sound in Heaven, facing no danger at all. Yet, whenever he saw the dark haired Goddess beside him, he felt his heart calm.

Letting out a small sigh, his eyes focused again on the smooth stone walkway. _Remember why you're here, Gil. This isn't the time to let your mind wander._

They approached the stone building, a white dome structure, that was the place Ex called home. Slowly making their way through the ivy covered arches that formed the entrance, they passed three other teary eyed Goddesses there to offer their condolences also. Gilgamesh didn't recognize any of them, but Skuld obviously did. She reached out her hand and whispered her greetings to them as the two groups passed each other.

Continuing a little further, Skuld and Gil rounded a corner into a large room, filled with the flowers and gifts of well wishers. It was dimly lit except around a single person, sitting alone amidst the flora. Ex was still in her Goddess uniform, dark lavender with lighter purple patterns around the edges. Her silvery hair curled gently around her face, with a long tail in the back which stretched to the small of her back.

As he and Skuld came closer, she raised her eyes to see who was there. Managing a painful smile, she stood and met them in the middle of the room. Skuld trotted out in front and the two Goddesses embraced each other. The Templar stopped a few paces away, remaining silent.

"It's so good to see you, Skuld." Ex's voice was weak, her eyes red from hours of crying. "Is Belldandy all right?"

"She's supposed to wake up in a couple days," the young Goddess responded, still holding onto her friend.

"So how's Yggdrasil?" Her raspy voice made Gilgamesh flinch inside, further showing him how badly she was taking everything. "I heard Ceres asked you to fill in for me."

"It was pretty hectic today. I'm managing to keep up pretty well, but I'm not as good as you." Skuld smiled warmly as she spoke, "How are you holding up, Ex?"

They pulled away, still holding onto each other's hands, "It's really hard to believe that it all happened." Her eyes began to glisten as she thought about it. "But everyone's been so supportive. I haven't had to deal with this alone. My friends are the only way that I've made it this far."

Gilgamesh bit his tongue to try and distract himself from his swirling emotions. He had known it would be difficult to see her, but he hadn't even said anything and his heart was already threatening his exterior.

"You know that I'll be here for you," Skuld told her friend, tears forming in her own eyes.

"Thank you, Skuld," the broken hearted Goddess smiled weakly, then turned to the taller male. "And you, what took you so long?"

"Well, you know me," he tried to sound as normal as he could as he stepped forward, "always running late." The two hugged each other tightly and Gil felt some degree of comfort from it. He felt a sting in his eyes as he spoke softly. "I'm sorry about Xander. If I could have taken his place…"

She quickly pulled back enough to place a finger over his mouth. Her silver colored eyes looked through the tears as she barely more than whispered, "If you had gone, then I would be mourning you instead, Gil. There is nothing for you to feel guilty about."

He was fighting the pain in his heart. His soul wanted desperately to cry, but he couldn't let himself. He had to be strong for her. "Xander had tried to tell me something before all this started. He never really told me what it was, but I think I can make a good guess." The God's voice strained more and more with each word. "He was going to give you something during your date on Friday."

She stood watching him, her hands together over her chest as he reached into his dark blue cloak. His voice began to shake as he revealed a small lavender box. "He wanted you to have this, so I thought I should give it to you in his stead." As she took the small object, a tear fell from his eyes onto her trembling hand.

Ex seemed to be on the verge of crying as well. Staring at the velvet covered box, she carefully opened it. Tears streaked down her cheeks when she saw the beautiful ring inside. It was a platinum band, the smooth stone swirled with a silvery white that matched well with her eyes. She looked up at the Templar, who was now failing to hide the pain he felt inside.

Closing the box, she wrapped her arms around his neck. "Gil…" She began sobbing into the side of his neck as he returned her hug. "I loved Xander so much. Why did this have to happen? Why him?" He desperately fought against the tears he could feel welling up as he listened to her cries. "We would have been so happy. I would have said yes."

Gilgamesh rested his cheek atop her head as he held his friend tighter. "He knew how you felt. After he met you, there was nothing that could ruin his mood. You made him into the happiest God I ever saw." He paused to keep from loosing control. "He knew you would say yes. There was never any doubt in his mind."

"Thank you, Gil." She managed to stifle her tears as she pulled back, their hands still on each other's shoulders. "He always spoke so highly of you. He knew that you would grow to be a great Templar. He was proud that you thought of him as a brother."

He smiled weakly before clearing his throat. "I guess I should get going. If you ever need me for anything, anything at all, I'll be there in a heartbeat." He bent forward and softly pressed his lips to her forehead.

The Goddess looked up at him as they pulled away from each other. "Thanks, Gil. I'll see you soon."

Backing away slowly, he held onto her until her fingertips parted from his own. Showing her one more smile, he turned and strode from the room. Reaching the ivy covered arches outside, he saw Skuld leaning patiently against the wall, waiting for him. He hesitated, wiping his eyes with his sleeve before speaking. "Thanks."

"For what?" She looked over at him questioningly, though he did not meet her eyes. It was bad enough that he had been on the verge of tears, he didn't want her to see it, too.

"For giving us some time alone," he replied, voice still shaky. The Goddess smiled in return.

"Let's go back," she said simply. Gil nodded silently as they began their journey back to the hospital. Skuld was technically free to return to the home she and her sisters had shared in Heaven, but she flatly refused to spend any more time away from Belldandy than needed.

The raven haired girl was looking up at the trees again as they walked in silence. Gil was finding it difficult to think about anything besides the tears of Goddess they had just visited. _Why did it have to happen? They've been together for so long, and they were just getting ready to truly start their life together. Now they've been violently torn apart, and what's left is a horrible pain that I don't know how to fight._ An image of Ex flashed through his mind's eye, the painful sight of her crying with the ring clutched tightly to her chest.

"You know," Skuld's gentle voice tore him away from his thoughts, though he wasn't sure if he was thankful for that or not. "You don't...well, what I mean is, you could...er..." The God looked over at his traveling companion, who looked rather flushed and was pushing her index fingers together. "Well, Ex lost the one she loved, but he was someone close to you, too, right? I know that it's not the same for the two of you, but it's still really hard, isn't it?"

His eye twitched as his voice almost betrayed his emotions. "Yeah. It's hard."

She stopped walking, staring at the stone pathway underfoot. Gilgamesh stopped a few paces ahead, turning back to look at her. "We came here to let Ex know that we'll be here for her. Well, you should know that..." She paused for a moment, pivoting the toe of her shoe on the ground nervously. "You should know that there are people who are here for you, too."

The warrior God froze, unwilling to do anything for fear it would break the dam in his heart. She took a few steps forward, still watching the ground as she moved, and came to a stop directly before him. "You shouldn't have to face your feelings alone, that'd be too sad. I always had my big sister there for me whenever I needed her." Lifting her head, he saw her fierce blush and her nervous smile. "If you want, I'll be there whenever you need someone."

Her caring eyes stared into him, and something cracked. Dropping heavily to his knees, he strained to contain his cries as the tears began to flow. The young Goddess swooped down and steadied him as all the emotion he had been hiding in his soul burst forth. Leaning on her for support, his tears wet her shoulder as she quietly whispered, "It's alright, Gil. I'm here for you."

* * *

AN: 

Again, sorry for the delay, and sorry this chapter is so short. Also, I'm planning on slowing the chapter releases after this next weekend, just so you all know.

We're approaching the end of the first Arc, and I think you guys will like what happens. At least I hope so. Look for it this upcoming weekend (May 6-7)!

Thank you very much to my reviewers, you guys are awesome! See you all next chapter!

Katamari Damacy


	9. Arc I Chap 08 When the Skies Fell

_Arc One: Chapter Eight_

_When the Skies Fell_

The unconscious form of Sephiroth lay on a thin futon in the center of the room labeled Castle Urd. He was stripped from the waist up, his clothes replaced by bandages so numerous that the Goddess could barely see any skin at all. _He's kind of cute when he's asleep. _Urd smiled a little as the thought crossed her mind.

The first and only time that she had actually spoken to him, he had been preparing to depart on the doomed mission to stop the voices. He had looked a little scary, scowling as if he would cut the next person he saw in half with that huge sword of his. She found herself wondering what the legendary warrior, famed as perhaps the strongest Templar in a thousand years, was truly like.

Leaning forward, Urd wiped the damp, bloodstained cloth lightly across the face of the unconscious God. There had been a great deal of blood on him when Keiichi brought him back, so much that she wondered how he hadn't died. Something that puzzled her though, was that she couldn't figure out where it had all come from. He had numerous wounds all over, but nothing that could account for the vitae that had matted his white hair and soaked his coat near the bottom of his shoulder blades.

She vaguely wondered if he had healed his worst wounds himself before passing out. Not that it really mattered right then. Sephiroth would heal in time, and he would be able to answer her questions himself.

Content that she had cleared away most of the dried blood from the cut on his cheek, Urd set the rag aside until Keiichi returned with more fresh water. He had also said that he would be checking on Peorth, who was resting in his room. The Goddess of Roses had used her powers to stabilize the Templar leader, saving him from death but wearing herself out in the process. She was still asleep as far as Urd knew.

Turning her attention to a pewter tray setting on the floor beside her, Urd began to prepare another bandage. Taking her pestle and mortar, she ground two yellow, oblong sort of beans and a sliver of black bark into a fine powder. With the practiced hands of a master, she carefully spread the mixture onto the white strip, then carefully added three beads of green liquid from an eyedropper.

Satisfied with her work, she again leaned over her patient and placed the small white strip over the cut on his cheek. Leaving her hand over the bandage, she closed her eyes and directed a trickle of her power into the wound to speed the absorption of the salve. A few seconds later, she let her head drop a little as she breathed a sigh of relief, "Finally finished. That's all his wounds."

Opening her eyes and looking at her patient, she was surprised to see a set of green eyes staring at her. With a startled jerk, she yanked her hand away as the God watched her suspiciously.

"Where am I?" His voice held no sign of his near death experience, in fact, he sounded only marginally less commanding than he did when he had left.

Urd hesitated for a short moment, still a bit off balance from his sudden wakefulness. "Well, you're in my room. We had to act quickly before you bled to death."

He apparently realized how injured he was, as he made no move to try and sit up. Of course, if he had she would have forced him back down. She had a perfume bottle filled with a sleeping potion ready for just such an eventuality. "I don't remember making it back to the temple."

His confident tone sounded strange to Urd, as she thought it was obvious that he was confused. "You didn't," she replied quietly, "At least not on your own. You collapsed onto the roof of a building across town. The human who lives here, Keiichi Morisato, found you and brought you here. You would have died if it weren't for him."

The Templar's eyes left her for the first time and began to take in his surroundings. "How long have I been here?"

"I'm not sure myself. Three or four hours, I guess, maybe a little more. I haven't been watching the clock." A smile crept across her face as she spoke, "You seem to be recovering faster than I expected, though. With your wounds, you should have been asleep for at least a day or two."

His expression remained neutral, his eyes continuing to dart about the room. Soon his eyes settled back on her, "You treated my wounds?"

"Well, Peorth helped a little, so I can't take all the credit," the Goddess gave a shrug, though she was plainly happy to be able to show off her skills, "but yeah. I healed you as well as I could, given the circumstances. Still, nobody would have been able to save you if Kei-boy hadn't brought you back here as fast as he did. You're lucky to still be here."

His eyes narrowed at her words. "Lucky, you say?" Urd couldn't read the expression he wore, but she could tell something was wrong. "Somehow I can't think of what has transpired today as being lucky at all."

The Goddess turned her eyes away, speaking in a somewhat subdued voice, "We heard what happened from Ceres. I'm sorry about your comrades."

"People die," his voice was cold as he scowled at the ceiling, "Neither they nor I need your sympathy."

Urd was taken aback by his lack of emotion. "How can you be so callous about it?"

"What are you talking about?" The God's eyes met hers with an unreadable look.

Her voice became harsh as anger crept through her. "They were _your_ men. They died following _your _orders!"

He returned his gaze to the shadowy ceiling tiles, his voice very matter of fact, "Nevertheless, they are gone and I am still here."

A loud pop filled the room, and a red mark slowly began to appear on the God's cheek opposite the bandage she had so carefully placed there before. His green eyes widened in something that resembled surprise as his head involuntarily turned away from the Goddess' fury. "I can't believe you!" Her voice shook with rage as she stood, thrusting an accusatory finger toward him. "You don't even care that they're dead, do you? You have no right to lead men!" Stalking to the door, she paused to look over her shoulder just outside. "You may be a powerful warrior, but you are the worst man I've ever met!" With those words, she slammed the door shut.

It was strangely silent in the hallway, and she began to feel a sting on her left palm. Looking at her hand as she open and closed it, she realized how hard she had hit him, but she didn't feel the least bit sorry.

"Don't you think that was a little harsh, my dear?" Peorth was slowly walking down the hallway toward her, running her fingers through her hair dramatically.

"Absolutely not. That bastard deserves way more than that!" Urd was having trouble keeping her voice from being heard through the whole temple. "He doesn't give a damn about anyone! He has no right to lead anyone into battle, I don't care how well he can fight!"

"Urd, that Templar in there just came back from a terrible loss on the brink of death," she spoke firmly, crossing her arms resolutely. "Everyone Sephiroth was responsible for was killed all around him. Maybe he's just trying to distance himself from their loss, or maybe he's still out of it because he just came so close to death himself."

The white haired Goddess turned to walk away, anger still smoldering in her voice, "Maybe it would have been more just if anyone in that team but him had made it back instead of him."

Urd was a little surprised that Peorth didn't respond to this, nor did the other Goddess try to follow as she went outside. She was glad to be left alone, however. Stopping on the wooden porch, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. _I shouldn't have said that. It's the kind of thing _he_ would say._ Plopping down on the polished wood with a huff, she looked out over the yard where Keos was giving instructions to several other Templars.

The unwelcome sound of footfalls drew her attention, and she shot an icy glare over her shoulder at the person intruding on her thoughts. Keiichi took an involuntary step back from the look the Goddess gave him. Realizing who it was, her face quickly softened into a small smile. "Oh, it's just you. Have a seat, Keiichi." She patted the wooden floor beside her.

"Sorry if I'm bothering you," he said as he sat down. "I overheard you and Peorth."

Her scowl returned as she looked across the yard. "That guy just pisses me off. He talked about the ones who died like they were just plastic army men. The fact that they were real people and are dead now isn't his problem, it seems."

Keiichi thought for a minute. "Peorth told me about that huge sword of his, the Masamune. She said it was a Holy sword and that it can only be wielded by someone it finds worthy." Urd turned her head toward him as he continued. "Well, if it's a Holy sword, and it lets him use it, then doesn't that…well…" He hesitated for a moment, then scratched the back of his head as he grinned at her, "Well, I don't really know enough about things like this to be making judgments one way or the other. I suppose you would know more about this than I would."

Her weak smile returned, "I know you're trying to cheer me up, Kei, but it's alright. Maybe he's not as bad as I think he is, but I still don't like his attitude. Disregarding the death of someone that was fighting to protect others is something I can't deal with."

The human nodded a few times, then changed the subject. "So, who is Ceres? You guys keep talking about her, but I don't think I've ever heard her name before. Is she another friend of yours?"

Urd nodded, "She was just starting to make a name for herself when I left Yggdrasil, so Peorth knows her better than I do. She's a real nice girl, kinda makes you think of Belldandy sometimes. When things get sticky though, she's a total professional. She's good at her job, one of the most reliable people up there. I have to admit, I'm glad she's been in charge up at Yggdrasil for most of this. It could be real chaos without her."

Keiichi turned to look at the sky, something that he had been doing quite since she left. Urd had been awake so much since the Templars arrived, she wasn't even sure how long it had been since Bell and Skuld left. It was painfully obvious how much he missed her, despite how hard he tried to hide it. It was likely going to be several months before he would be able to see her again, and he was already counting the minutes until he could hold her.

Urd sighed wistfully. _Why can't I find a guy that'll pine over me like that?_ Her eyes followed those of her human companion into the sky, quietly absorbing the stillness of the early evening. The dark gray clouds had finally thinned and broken up enough to see the light of a few stars in the dark heavens.

Some of her tension was fading from her when she realized that there was something wrong with the scene above her. Tilting her head curiously as she squinted, she wondered out loud, "What in the world is that?"

"What's what?" the human beside her asked. "What do you see, Urd?"

Something was definitely odd, and it was starting to make her feel uncomfortable. "There wasn't supposed to be a meteor shower today, was there?"

The Goddess didn't see the look of confusion on his face, but she could hear it in his voice. "Uh, I don't think so. I don't remember hearing anything about one on the news. Why?"

"I'm not sure," she mumbled, wondering if she was simply imagining things. Glancing over and seeing the concerned look she was getting, Urd quickly forced a smile as she patted him on the shoulder. "It's probably nothing. I'm just going to give Ceres a call to see if anything's up."

She left Keiichi squinting up at the sky, trying to see what she was talking about, but she doubted human eyes could perceive it. It seemed so miniscule that on a normal day she wouldn't have given such a thing a second thought. _Well, things aren't exactly normal, are they? Better safe than sorry._ The Goddess gave a short chuckle at her own thoughts. _Better safe than sorry? Have I ever even uttered that phrase before?_

She made her way into the temple house and floated into the hall, her worries all but forgotten. As her hand reached for the plain black phone, it let out a sudden ring. The ominous sound gave pause to the white haired Goddess as she landed. Her emerald eyes were fixed on the small device as it rang once again.

_It's just a coincidence. Yeah, someone just so happened to call, it doesn't mean anything._ Deep down, as she lifted the receiver to her ear, Urd knew she was just trying to fool herself. "Hello?"

"Urd!" Ceres' strained voice quickly greeted her over the static filled line. "There is a world wide meteor storm forming. We have no hard evidence, but we think it's the source of the voices. We're showing that the first hits will come in about ninety seconds, and most of these things could incinerate half a city block." Urd's heart felt very much like a block of ice as she heard the words through the receiver. "Yggdrasil's interface just started to lock up in some sectors. There's nothing we can do to stop it from up here. Listen, this is going to cause untold damage to the Earth. We can't even estimate how many are going to die from this."

"Ceres," Urd had finally recovered her voice, "what do you want us to do?"

"I'm afraid that if this really is the voices," she explained, "then it won't be much longer before we have to start fighting openly down there. The humans will find out about us. I'm trying to get permission for you guys to intercept what meteors you can, but it will be several more minutes before the messenger can get back with the Almighty's decision. I can't order you to do it, but…well, you know what you need to do."

"I understand," she replied, trying to squelch the nervous fear that she felt. "We'll do what we can."

"Our prayers are with you." With that, the line disconnected.

Urd took a deep breath. "Peorth! Gather the Templars!"

As the white haired Goddess flew into the yard, she found Peorth and Keiichi standing there. It seemed that the Templars hadn't needed to be gathered, after all. They seemed to be as interested in what had appeared overhead as everyone else. Urd's breath caught in her throat as she took in a scene she could not have imagined.

The sky itself was ablaze, lit with hundreds of fireballs streaking toward the surface. The clouds were backlit with an angry, reddish-orange glow. She could see them quite clearly now, and she knew that Ceres had not been exaggerating about the damage potential of these massive rocks. She was quite certain that some of the largest meteors could probably vaporize over a square kilometer on impact. It was as if Hell itself was raining onto the unsuspecting Earth, and the humans who resided there.

"Peorth," she spoke urgently, "We have to do something." Before the other Goddess could give voice to the shocked look on her face, Urd continued. "Ceres is getting permission to reveal ourselves as we speak, but she won't get word until it's too late! We have to do something right now!"

The dark haired Goddess finally managed to get a word in, "Are you insane, Urd? If permission gets rejected, everyone who goes will get their license suspended! With your track record and the fact we're at war with Heaven knows what, you might even get thrown in prison!" Her point was punctuated by an explosion in the distance. The first meteor had hit.

All the Templars were watching the two Goddesses now, wondering what they would be ordered to do. Keos, the senior Templar present, stepped forward slightly and clasped his hands behind his back. "Lady Peorth, Lady Urd, what are your orders?"

"Peorth," Keiichi's troubled voice came next, "My friends are going to die out there. My little sister, Megumi, and all the people you met when you came to Earth last time, they are all in danger. You can't tell me that you are going to just sit here and do nothing while they all die!"

Peorth's eyes watered as she listened to the mortal's pleas, but turned away as another explosion was heard, reverberating through the ground beneath them. He suddenly reached out, grasping Urd by the arms. "You have to do something, Urd. You aren't going to let them all die, are you?"

"No, Kei, I'm not," she told him softly, giving his arm a squeeze before turning to the Templars. "I can't order any of you to go. You all know that you may be reprimanded if you do this, but you will be saving innocent lives. I'm going to fight for the people of this city. Will any of you help me?"

Keos immediately nodded, "I volunteer, Lady Urd." Some of the other Templars also nodded and began to step forward. They all froze when the next voice called out.

"Nobody is volunteering for anything," came a strong, deep voice from the temple house. They all turned to see the tall figure of Sephiroth, his black coat back on and massive sword in hand. As he approached the group of Celestials and single human, he spoke again. "The mission is to intercept all meteors possible, minimize damage to the city, and help any humans that you can. Those are your orders, do you understand?"

All the warrior Gods came to the position of attention as they called out in unison, "Yes, sir!" Urd wasn't sure, but most of them seemed quite pleased that the choice had been taken out of their hands.

Peorth spoke up, "Did the Almighty give the order?"

"_I_ am giving the order, Lady Peorth," he replied in a tone that allowed no argument. Looking back to his Templars, he spoke only one word. "Move."

"Yes, sir!" they yelled in reply. Urd could feel their powers spike as they turned and large, angelic wings formed on their backs. As a group, they all leaped into the air, rushing off with the speed of a rocket.

As Urd watched them begin their defense of the city, she heard Keiichi's voice behind her. "Thank you, uh, Lord Sephiroth." She turned to see the young human bowing deeply from the waist. The Templar leader, who towered over the short Keiichi, only raised an eyebrow. "I know that you could get in trouble for doing this, but your order may have saved my friends and my sister. Thank you."

Sephiroth looked at the bowing form before him, his face stony and unreadable. "Stand up," he said simply. Keiichi promptly did as he was told. "I've been told that I owe you my life, Keiichi Morisato," he briefly glanced at Urd as he spoke. "That is why I am doing this. It is impossible for us to save everyone in this city. Those that we do help, will be saved because of your actions."

Keiichi wore a look of astonishment as he listened to the God's words, one that Urd suspected was mirrored on her own face. The dark haired human recovered first, swallowed hard, and gave the Templar a determined nod, "What should I do?"

Sephiroth looked to the fiery sky, where his men were already destroying the rocky projectiles, and spoke grimly, "I suggest you pray for our success."

Urd couldn't believe what she was hearing from the God. Looking at Peorth, she saw the other Goddess was as amazed as she was. They both looked back when they felt his power surge, far stronger than any of the other Templars. But where his angelic wings were supposed to form, she was shocked to see only the right hand one appear.

"What are you doing?" Peorth almost yelled at him, "You were almost killed this morning! You shouldn't push yourself so soon! Urd, say something."

"You should think a little harder about this," Urd tried to reason with him, though she knew it wouldn't work. "You could end up far worse than when Keiichi brought you here."

Sephiroth's snow white hair was still stained crimson in places. As he stood there, watching the struggle overhead, Urd silently gasped as she saw a new dark spot, glistening wet, formed on his black coat. She finally understood why there had been so much blood on him earlier. The place where his left wing should have stretched out from his shoulder was bleeding profusely.

"You are correct," he spoke, drawing her attention away from his grievous wound, "I may very well require some of your medication when this is over. Nevertheless, I refuse to stand here idly while my men fight for this city." He turned to look over his left shoulder, his green eyes glowing brightly. "You misunderstood what I was saying earlier, Lady Urd. It was not that I didn't care that my men had died in battle, it was that I didn't die alongside them."

With that, he flashed away into the angry sky.

Urd shook her head as she watched the man who was almost dead half a day before. Her whispered words were too quiet for anyone else to hear. "You idiot." Looking back toward Peorth, she gave a challenging grin. "Well, dear? You aren't going to stand by either, are you?"

The Goddess of Roses returned the smile as she looked up, "No, I suppose not. Even though I doubt that fool Tamiya would die even if a meteor struck him in the head, the other humans aren't quite so think skulled."

Urd gave a small chuckle as she nodded at her friend, receiving a nod in return. "Keiichi, maybe you should take that jerk's advice." With that, the two Goddesses flew into the battlefield that was the sky over the city of Nekomi.

The Templars were pushing hard, zooming to destroy one meteor with their no-dachi, only to throw up a shield program to try and force another back into space. The red skies were speckled with the blue glow of magic circles.

The two Goddesses nodded to each other again, then split off in different directions.

Urd built up her energy and summoned her angel, World of Elegance. The angel had one black wing and one white, and her hair was similarly split between the two colors. This reflected the descent of her host, as Urd was half Goddess and half Demon. Appearing with a look of determination on her face, the angel needed no instruction from her Goddess. The divine being was soaring toward a meteor within seconds of being awakened.

Quickly finding a target of her own, Urd positioned herself before the flaming projectile as it streaked across the sky. Setting herself, she began to gather her energy. The Goddess spread her arms, then brought her hands above her head. The light began as just a small bead between her fingers, growing quickly to the size of a basketball. She began to feel a strain as she channeled more and more power into the sphere. As the meteor came closer, she brought her arms forward and, with a great yell, launched her power toward it.

The energy sphere connected with the flaming meteor, which disintegrated in a brilliant flash of light and a loud crack. She could feel the pressure from the explosion as bits of fiery rock flew in all directions. Ignoring the heat, Urd flew through it toward the next one.

Crackling energy began to surround her right hand as she rushed forward. The lightning completely obscured her forearm within a matter of seconds and she struck her target head on only moments later. The meteor shattered as the flames singed her clothes.

Taking a breath as she watched the last bits fall away, she glanced to her side to see Sephiroth squaring off against one of the projectiles. He was perfectly still for a few seconds, watching the fireball approach him. Then, just as it reached him, his huge sword lashed out with lightning speed. The meteor exploded to dust and the one winged God flashed to the next one, almost too fast for Urd to see.

She intercepted another, then another, soon loosing count of the deadly projectiles she destroyed before they struck the city below. As the minutes passed, she could feel her strength beginning to fade. "Urd Lightning Bolt!" Another destroyed meteor scattered into tiny shards. Wiping the sweat from her brow, her eyes quickly scanned the sky for her next target. She noted with some relief that there seemed to be fewer now. As she flew toward the nearest fireball, she fought back the fatigue that was permeating her body. _The storm is passing, just a few more now. C'mon, Urd, you can do this! You can't slip now!_

The meteor shower had been falling for what seemed like forever, and Urd felt as though she could barely keep herself in the air. Her angel, Elegance, had already returned, as Urd became unable to sustain her. Breathing heavily, she again shook the sweat from her eyes as she scanned the sky. The Templars were still going, but considerably slower now. Keos was yelling for his companions to attack in twos or threes, combining their weakened powers against a single stone. They were worn out, just as she was, but it was beginning to look as though it was almost over now.

Before she could blink, Urd was tumbling through the sky. She could feel an incredible heat and a deafening roar filled her ears. She clenched her eyes against the black smoke as she struggled to right herself. As she regained control, she opened her eyes and followed the trail of smoke to the huge meteor that had streaked past her. Horror filled her as she saw where it was going.

The Goddess of the Past shot toward the ground, flying parallel to the black trail the falling star made. As she pushed herself in front of it, she looked once more over her shoulder, at the temple she called home. The place she had told Keiichi to wait. _No, I won't let him be destroyed._

Facing her nemesis, anger filled her. Hate toward the thing that wanted to destroy her home and the man she loved as a brother. "I will not let you take him!" she screamed as she thrust her hands forward. A huge mandala, glowing with a blue energy, spread out before the equally huge meteor. She forced all the power she had into it, and pushed forward, trying to force the thing back into the reddish sky.

Her body trembled as sweat stung her eyes. Her mind screamed as the power she forced through herself threatened to tear her apart. And still it continued to fall toward it's target. _I can't give up! Bell would never give up, she would find a way!_

She cried out as she forced still more into the shield program. Her limbs began to tingle, and it felt like scalding water was flowing in her veins. She was giving it everything she had and more. She had managed to slow it some, but it still came relentlessly.

Her vision was growing dim, her body becoming numb. _I can't do it. Bell, I'm so sorry._ The intense heat was evaporating her tears before they could fall. _Keiichi, forgive me._

"I know you aren't quitting already, Urd!" She couldn't believe her ears, and as the exhausted Goddess turned, she was shocked out of her sorrow by the face she saw.

"Marller!" The surprise couldn't have been any more obvious in her voice, and on her tired face. "What are you doing?"

Marller placed her hands over Urd's, "Now's not the time!" The Demon First Class smiled at her old friend and rival, "Now push, damn it!"

Urd pressed her palms against the massive shield she had created, and summoned everything she had in one last surge. As she did, she could feel Marller's demonic energy pouring through her hands and mingling with her own power. _This has to work! Please, Almighty, let this work!_

The Celestial and Infernal let out a powerful yell as both pushed with all their might. Slowly, the meteor began to change its trajectory. Finally, as Urd's shield collapsed, the fiery object was hurtling back into space, safely away from Earth. The last of Urd's power left as a wave of relief flooded her. Her exhausted form fell into the Demon's arms. "I don't know what you're doing here, Marller," she could only manage to whisper into her old friend's ear, "but thanks. Really."

"Forget it, Urd." Marller looked around them as she spoke. "We're going back to the temple. I've got something I have to tell you. I just hope none of your Templar pals try to kill me on the way."

Urd was too tired to know if the blond haired Demon was joking or not.

* * *

AN: 

Okay, sorry I've been going so slow the last week or two. Work is going to be extremely hectic this month, so don't be suprised if I'm forced to slow down a little. I'm going to try and get one more chapter out this weekend (ending Arc I), but don't hold your breath.

I'm too tired to go back and proofread this chapter, so it's possible there are some parts that are garbled and make no sense. Please let me know if I screwed up anything major so I can go back and fix it.

I really hope that you guys are enjoying this, and for those who read Zankoku the first time I posted it, I hope you still like it. Bear with me for a while longer, since we are still just under halfway through the story that I posted before. Plus I'm adding new stuff, including the forces of Hell, though they won't do much till Arc II. Once we get near the end of Arc II, then the all new, totally, uh, new stuff will start.

Please let me know what you think, and thanks to those who have already reviewed! Keep on giving me feedback! (BTW - Keiichi fans will be sated once we get well into Arc II, so please be patient!)

See you all next chapter, I hope!

Katamari Damacy


	10. Arc I Chap 09 Revelation

_Arc I: Chapter Nine_

_Revelation

* * *

_

"Is it over yet?"

Israfel scowled at the hellish sky, watching the last few balls of fire sink toward the Earth. "I think we're through the worst of it. Did we loose anyone?"

Looking around the clearing they were standing in, Unowe shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. Just about everyone scattered when it started coming down."

"I know that," the Demon remarked snidely, "I was the one who told them to split up till it was over."

The other man reacted with a sort of cowed indignation. "I was just saying I don't know if we lost anyone."

He ran a gritty hand over the cuts on his bald head, breathing deeply. _Just calm down and be patient. But we can't afford to loose anyone! We're too weak as it is, and if we loose anyone else, it's going to be impossible to attack this thing!_ Settling his nerves, he simply watched as the final strikes came at the planet.

"Hey, Israfel?" Unowe received a grunt in response. "You think this was the same thing that, well, do you think it was that thing? The thing that attacked us all?"

"Hell, I don't know," he admitted, "but it wouldn't surprise me."

"What makes you say that?"

He paused a moment to rub his goatee before answering. "Hell's already fallen, and the only Demons left are here on Earth. If it was trying to kill us, then it probably chased us here to finish the job. This is kind of a flamboyant way of doing things, though."

The other Demon didn't respond to this, at least he didn't say anything. Israfel was still watching the sky, so any expression his companion showed went unnoticed.

"So, did we loose anyone?"

For some reason, the sugary female voice chirping behind him irritated Israfel quite badly. "Kidara, does it look like we've even seen anyone else since everyone split up?" He turned to give the evil eye to the young Demon girl behind him. She ignored his look completely, springing forward and latching onto his arm.

"Oh, c'mon, Is-Is! You don't have to be so mean!" Her short, curled, jet black hair framed her youthful pout. He sometimes wondered if she was the only girl alive who could make puppy dog eyes with red irises.

"Kidara! This is serious!" he barked at her. "Stop being a pest!"

"Mou!" She suck out her tongue in a remarkable disregard for what was going on around them. "Well if you're going to be such a dork, I'll just play with Unowe! He understands me, don't you Uno-pon?" She turned and began floating toward the other Demon, arms outstretched for a big hug.

Israfel was ready to start beating his head on the nearest tree at her antics. Unowe, on the other hand, was wearing a big goofy grin on his face. "Come to me, my little princess!"

She was just about to land in his arms when Israfel heard something. Without thinking, he reached out and grabbed hold of the girl's leather belt from behind and yanked her back hard enough that the belt snapped. It was necessary, however, as it was less than a blink of the eye later that a loud crack was heard.

A small meteor, slightly larger than Kidara's fist, had impacted Unowe. The fiery fragment left little of the former Demon intact above the waist. In fact, much of his comrade was stuck to Israfel's clothes, blood on his face.

"Son of a bitch!" It was all Israfel could think to say. He had known Unowe a long time, and while he didn't know if he would have called the other Demon a friend, he was the closest thing Israfel ever had.

_Damn it, we can't loose people like this. We need everyone we can get! _He grimaced as he wiped the blood from his face with his already filthy hand. It was then he realized that in the shock of the moment, he had forgotten something important.

"Is-Is? Why is Uno-pon like that? Why is he all apart like that?" He turned to see her with wide eyes, and looking more pale than he had ever seen her. Like Israfel, she was also spattered with the blood of someone she had known since she was very little. He wasn't sure, but there might have even been a slight glint of tears in her wide eyes.

Unsure of what else to do, he put his hands on the girl's shoulders. "C'mon, sis. We need to find the others." All his previous irritation with her faded from his mind, and for some reason he was confronted by a peculiar urge that he rarely experienced. The desire to protect his only family.

"But what about Uno-pon? Why are we leaving him like that?" Her voice held an innocence that amazed Israfel. She honestly didn't understand what was going on. She had never been exposed to death before.

"Unowe just needs to rest for a while," he lied, coaxing her away from the corpse. "He'll catch up to us in a day or two. You know how slow he can be sometimes."

"Yeah," she nodded, though she didn't sound entirely convinced. "I guess you're right." Normally it was impossible to make the young Demon shut up, but she was eerily silent after she turned away from the remains.

He unconsciously gave the young girl's shoulder a squeeze. She was shaken pretty badly, and the older Demon wondered how his little sister would survive in this harsh world that had been thrust upon them.

* * *

Fires raged in seemingly random parts of the cityscape. Though the meteors had stopped falling, the few clouds left held a faint orange glow, a reflection of what was happening below.

Demon First Class Marller didn't particularly care about the humans that were suffering out there, nor did she feel any real sorrow over those who died. More precisely, they didn't matter enough for her to think about them. She had far more pressing worries than the cattle of this planet.

Her red, cat like eyes darted all around as she cautiously landed in the temple yard. She had been here many times in the past, causing as much grief as possible to those who resided there, but never had she been more worried about not getting caught. The Goddess sisters would drive her back however they could, but the Templars were another story. They were zealous to say the least, and she didn't want to find out what they would do if they found her.

Urd had fallen unconscious, her limp arm around Marller's neck. Her feet drug the ground as the Demon silently stole into the house. Listening intently for anyone else, she wondered if anyone was there. With every second that ticked by, she felt more and more uncomfortable. She had to find Belldandy or Keiichi, or even Skuld, before any of the Gods flying around the city caught her there.

She was halfway across their living room when she heard footfalls. Before she could decide what to do, a short, dark haired human came around the corner from the hall. He took only one step into the room before he stopped, obviously not expecting to see what he did.

"M-Marller!" His surprise quickly grew into a scowl as he pointed at her. "What are you doing here? What did you do to Urd?"

It took her a moment, but she managed to free one of her hands, putting it up in a non-threatening manner. "Hold on there, you don't understand." She tried her best to sound reassuring, hoping to calm him. "I just helped Urd after she passed out up there! She just needs to sleep for a while. Uh, is Belldandy here by any chance? I really need to talk to her."

"Just let Urd go," he said, edging forward now. "Just give her to me and go. You shouldn't be here when the Templars get back."

"Don't you think I know that, you idiot?" Her nervousness was turning into irritation now. "Now tell me, where the hell is Belldandy at?"

"She's not here," he said simply.

_Son of a bitch! I don't have time for this crap! _Marller struggled to contain her anger. _Don't yell at him, just act cool and he'll tell you. _"Damn it, human, I can see that she's not here! Where is she?"

"She's in Heaven right now," he replied, taking another step closer. "But there are about thirty Templars out there who aren't. I seriously doubt that they are going to be impressed with your assurances that you're on the level."

The Demon flashed a toothy smile, "You could put in a good word for me, right?"

"Are you nuts?" It seemed astonishing to him that she would even suggest it. "You turned me into an iguana. And you turned Megumi into a car! Should I even mention the Lord of Terror?"

"Yeah, yeah, we all remember that stuff," she said impatiently, "but that was the past. I haven't done anything to you guys since April."

He crossed his arms, less than impressed. "You mean when you put our number on every telemarketer list in Japan?"

It would have been a struggle to maintain a straight face as he spoke, had her situation not been as dire as it was. _That was pretty funny, though._ "I haven't bothered you guys at all since then, either!"

Keiichi was scowling now, waving his arms around in irritation. "You didn't have to. We've been putting our names on do not call lists for five months."

She snorted. "Well, I am a Demon, after all. I'm supposed to tick you guys off. It's my job."

"Exactly," he replied, "which is why you should probably get out of here before they get back."

She frowned at his line of reasoning. _He's got a point. Even if he did stick up for me, those single minded Templars will probably kill first and ask questions later. I should probably get out of here for now._ "All right, fine. I'll leave for now." She laid Urd on the tatami floor, then turned to leave. "Tell Urd that I've got something really important to tell her," she called over her shoulder. "I'll find her in a day or two."

Turning back to the door, she froze, sweat quickly forming on her brow. Her red eyes were wide open, staring uneasily at the blade hovering less than an inch from her throat. _Oh crap._

"Why are you really here, Demon?" The deep voice drew her attention to her right. Standing there, against the wall just outside the room, was a tall God, dressed all in black. His long white hair reminded her of Urd's, except that his was straight, with two long bangs hanging on either side of his face. The Templar's eyes glowed green, and she could easily feel his power in the air.

"I have information for your side," she said with some worry in her voice. "Urd and I go way back, so I figured I'd approach her about it." His eyes narrowed on her, though he still didn't move a hair. "If I had wanted to harm anyone, I would have taken care of her during the meteor shower. The fact that I brought her back here ought to count for something."

He continued to stare at her for a few terrifying seconds. She couldn't read him at all, and the only thing she could think of was whether he was going to lop her head off or not.

"Her name's Marller," she heard Keiichi speak up behind her. "She and Urd do know each other. She's telling the truth about that, at least."

"See?" She did her best to sound trustworthy. "You heard him, I haven't lied to you. I really do have information you guys will want to hear. You have my word that I won't harm anyone while I'm here."

"The promise of a Demon holds little weight with me," he replied, seeming even more menacing even though he hadn't moved a hair. "Tell me why I should trust you."

"I can tell you what started all this," she answered ominously. "I don't know everything, but I was there just before it happened. I was standing at ground zero just before it was unleashed on the world."

He began to scowl, but the green glow of his eyes became less intense. Her nervousness had built to the point that she let out an audible sigh of relief as he lowered his sword. "Go inside and sit down." It was obviously not a request, so she moved back into the room.

Keiichi had already moved Urd, laying her near the table in the middle of the room. Marller sat next to her old friend and nemesis, resting her elbows on the short table. She took a deep breath as her adrenaline subsided. _At least it looks like they aren't going to kill me now._ She sat quietly for a moment before she realized that Keiichi was nowhere to be found.

"While we're waiting, how about some tea?" The young human was walking toward the table from the next room and sitting to her right, with Urd laying between them. "I'm sure if she was here, Bell would make some for you. Since she's not, I guess we'll have to make due with this." He offered a green can to her, which she eyed warily.

"There aren't any tea stalks standing upright in there, right?"

A mildly amused look came over him. "It's in a can, Marller. I'm pretty sure it's okay."

She was still suspicious, but took the proffered drink. She set the cool can on the table and relaxed a little. Leaning back with both hands on the floor behind her, she closed her eyes. Her mind ached, much the way a muscle aches, but this came from the strain of using her powers. Urd had been so weak when she tried to stop that last meteor, Marller almost had to repel it on her own.

Normally a Demon would not be able to mix her power with that of a Goddess, but Urd was only half Goddess. The demonic blood that flowed through her veins changed Urd's programs just enough that Marller had been able to add her own power to the shield.

"Aren't you going to have some?" Keiichi was nodding toward the can on the table before her.

Hesitating, she popped the top and sniffed at the beverage. Feeling as convinced as she could be, she closed her eyes and took a huge swig.

Keiichi had a curious expression on his face at her dramatic manner of consuming the tea, but didn't say anything. Marller decided that it would be better to wait quietly until her captors, as she saw them, returned to question her. Or rather, she would have waited quietly had she not noticed the suddenly humorless look that the human now bore.

"What's bugging you?" The Demon's voice was somewhat less than empathetic.

He leaned forward, elbows on the table, and clasped his hands together in front of his mouth. His serious eyes turned toward her as he spoke. "Those voices, the ones that supposedly did all this. Can you hear them, too?"

Her nose scrunched up in displeasure. "Yeah. We Demons can adjust our sensitivity to spiritual energies on the fly, so I can shut them out of my mind, but I can hear them if I try."

"Bell passed out when she heard them." The dark haired man stared solemnly at the can of tea in front of him. "That's why she and Skuld are in Heaven right now. Urd managed to hold herself together until help arrived."

The Demon sighed grimly at the news that the one person that she had never been able to win against had fallen so easily before this insane threat that loomed over all of them. "Well," she responded quietly, "that girlfriend of yours is nothing if not sensitive." Taking another, more sensible drink of her tea, she continued. "Honestly, I had no idea how the Goddesses would react to the whole thing, but I guess I shouldn't be surprised that it hit everyone so hard when even I had a bitch of a time with it at first."

Keiichi sat up straighter, his curiosity obviously piqued. "Marller, what do you know about what's going on? If you know anything, please tell us."

"Yes," added the one who had almost killed her moments before. "I think that now would be an excellent time to hear this important information of yours." He finally entered the room, his great sword now concealed within a glossy black sheath. As he slowly made his way to the wall across the room in front of her, she could see the fresh blood that matted his hair together from his shoulders down. He sat with his back against the wall, closing his eyes for a moment as he did, showing weakness to her for the first time.

She was impressed with his fortitude, maintaining himself with such a loss of blood was something that she was not sure she could match. His respite barely lasted more than a second before he again stared at her with those unnerving green eyes. _At least they aren't glowing anymore._ "My name is Marller, Demon First Class." She looked at him expectantly, waiting for him to reply in kind. It was several seconds before he did so.

"I am Sephiroth, First Order Templar, Special Class." His voice didn't betray his wounds in the least.

"Let me get right to the point," she began. "Some of my former comrades were informed that there was some sort of ancient spirit trapped somewhere on Earth. Supposedly it was as evil as the Lord of Terror, and perhaps even stronger. They were told the location of this spirit's resting place, or prison, or whatever you want to call it. A group of us who had been assigned Earth side for a few years now decided it was worth a look and followed the ones who had the location." She took another sip of her tea. "It was some sort of old stone formation, practically falling apart. The negative energy at the site was enormous, almost visible. We all went snooping around, and I started to realize that the strongest energy was coming from a huge stone disk near the center of the ruins. Most of the carvings were pretty badly worn, but I could tell that the design looked like a Celestial program mandala."

Sephiroth raised an eyebrow at this, "You say that the spot with the most negative energy had Celestial designs on it?"

"Yeah," she nodded, "and Celestial writing, too."

The Templar seemed very interested in her story now, his features intense. "What did the writing say?"

Marller was a little surprised by the question. She had expected that he would require convincing that there were Celestial runes on this stone, but he took it in stride. "Well, most of it was too worn to read, but there were a few words that I could pick out. From what I could figure out, it was a prison for something called the Cruel Angel. Does that name ring a bell?"

She hardly needed to ask the question, it was obvious that he knew what it was. "I have heard of it," he spoke calmly. His expression, however, showed how much he was rattled by this.

_Ironic that I'm usually so happy to see a Celestial shaken up or worried, but now it's just making me feel like I swallowed a ball of ice._ "Well, anyway, a couple of us started to get a bad feeling about the place, so two of us split. The other guy said he was going back to Hell to report on the site. I started heading back to Nekomi to try and forget about it all." She sighed, irritated at how afraid she was feeling just thinking back on what had happened. "Apparently, the guys who stayed behind figured out how to crack the seal, cause the next thing I know a wave of energy slams into me from behind and all these voices are screaming in my head. I managed to shut them out, but it drained me and I passed out. I'm not sure for how long, but when I woke up, I decided that I had to find out what those idiots had done."

Keiichi was watching her with undivided attention, though she was sure that the human wasn't able to follow everything she was saying. _Heck, I was there and even I can barely follow it._ Sephiroth seemed to be turning something over in his head, but still looked like he was carefully listening. "As I came closer, there was this mist and smoke all over the place. After a while, I couldn't see more than five meters, just the brown grass under my boots. I decided to open my senses a little, see if I could detect anything." She couldn't help but shiver as she spoke. "I was greeted by the voices of my former Demon comrades. I got the hell out of there as fast as I could after that. Whatever this Cruel Angel thing is, it's absorbed all those Demons into itself. I'd guess that it can do the same thing to Gods and Goddesses if it wanted to."

The dark haired human now looked very pale indeed. It seemed that he fully understood the implications of this things power, and how precarious their situation was. The white haired Templar had closed his eyes in thought however. "How is Hell responding to the threat?" he asked.

"I don't know," she admitted, "but things look really bad right now. I've only seen a few survivors that managed to escape to Earth, but…"

"What?" His eyes were wide open as he interrupted her. "Survivors? It already attacked Hell itself?"

The blond haired Demon nodded sullenly, "Yeah. I'm guessing it was happening while I was going back to check out the site, which is probably the only reason I'm still alive. Nobody I've talked to knows exactly how it happened, but Hell has definitely fallen." She paused to let this information sink in. "I've heard that the survivors are trying to gather together, that they're going to try and retake Hell, but I don't know if it's even possible. That's why I came to you guys. I knew if Heaven's forces were still intact, you would have the best chance against this thing."

There was silence in the room. Only the distant alarm sirens of the human city could be heard. Sephiroth was frowning, deep in thought. It was almost a full minute before he spoke again. "You said that it was the Demons who opened the seal. You're sure of this?"

"I think so," she nodded. "They were the only ones there when I left."

"I don't know everything about it, but I know that ruin is kept under constant surveillance from Heaven. It's difficult to believe that a group of Infernals could simply walk up to it without a Templar force being dispatched immediately." He looked at her intently. "And it's even more difficult to believe that they could have simply stumbled onto the correct method of dispelling such a powerful and complicated seal. The mere existence of the Cruel Angel is a tightly guarded secret. Even some members of the Council of Heaven don't know about it. Leaking information about it is an extraordinarily serious crime."

Keiichi finally found his voice as something clicked in his head. "So, what you're saying is that a Celestial must have told those Demons how to find and open the seal?"

Marller blinked. She had never even considered something like this. "If that were true, though, it would mean that someone very high on the food chain in Heaven…" Sephiroth interrupted her.

"…is a traitor."

* * *

_Epilogue: Hell Storm_

On that fateful day, the Earth itself was attacked by one known only as the Cruel Angel. Billions of humans perished that dark day, and millions more died in the days following. The fires raged and black smoke choked the skies. Many believed that the Final Days had come, that judgment was being dealt to humanity for its wicked ways.

Fire and brimstone raining from the sky, tsunamis caused by meteors landing in the oceans, and the sickness from inhaling the acrid smoke and dust. The suffering this day brought was a scene straight out of the Book of Revelation.

In those dark times, many claimed that they were visited by angels. Bringing food, clean water, and healing the sick, the sightings of these beings became so numerous that it was difficult for one to _not_ believe in some sort of divine power. Many who survived resented God and his angels for protecting and helping such a limited number of people, but leaving the rest of the world to suffer. They blamed Him for allowing it all to happen, and cursed His name as they felt He had cursed them.

Still others were strengthened in their faith, believing that the Almighty God would see them through this troubling time. They prayed for the success of God's angels, and hoped for the success of the forces of Heaven.

In Japan, however, during the days and weeks following the 'Hell Storm' (as it came to be known), the Celestials were not the only things that appeared. Strange creatures were seen, monstrous entities that seemed to multiply with every sighting. No one knew from where these things came, but everyone had soon heard stories of how they would viciously kill anyone they found.

Some humans tried to fight back, but with limited success. The few JSDF (Japan Self Defense Force) and US Armed Forces troops that had survived were the only mortals who stood any chance at all, and even that chance was slim.

In a city called Nekomi, the Gods and Goddesses gathered, making it their headquarters on Earth. The humans there lived in relative peace, under the protective wing of the divine creatures from Heaven. In the months after the city grew by leaps and bounds as more and more survivors came seeking refuge. Buildings began to rise up as the refugees came, and in a short time, the college town had grown into a near metropolis.

However, even divine beings have their limits. In the months following the assault by the Cruel Angel, those limits would be sorely tested.

* * *

AN:

Well, Mother's Day snuck up on me, so this is late coming out. That's not really an excuse though, so sorry it's so late.

Okay, about the Doublet system: It didn't come up when I wrote this the first time, since I forgot completely about Hell last time. Basically, I don't know, so I guess we'll have to wait and see. Thanks to () for that question. BTW are you the same () that wrote so many reviews the first time around?

We have now officially finished Arc I! I'll be starting on Arc II soon. If we're lucky I'll have Arc II Chap 1 this upcoming weekend, but I may be working so it might be delayed. Please bear with me.

To all of you who reviewed so far, a hearty thank you to you all! I'm pretty jazzed that you guys are so interested in this (and in my opinion, we haven't even made it to the good part yet!). Please keep reviewing and I hope to see you all in the next arc!

Also, I have set up a forum for this story. I don't know if there's enough in the story for anyone to have a discussion there, but feel free to do so. I'm not sure if just anyone can create a new topic, so if you can't, let me know what you would like to discuss and I'll add a topic for you.

See you all in the next exciting arc!

Katamari Damacy


	11. Arc II Chap 01 Home for Christmas

_Arc II: Chapter 01_

_I'll be Home for Christmas_

The rain pattered lightly across southern Japan. The December air held a rather cold nip, hovering just above freezing. The gray clouds slowly shifted and swirled above, lazily moving about as they let their contents fall to the scarred Earth.

Small plants were struggling to fill in the scorched landscape, but it was too cold for much of anything to grow. Thus the landscape remained fairly barren, with most trees and grass blown away by the impacts or burnt to ash by the accompanying flames. Only periodically did one find places that the destruction didn't seem complete.

On a long stretch of highway between Hiroshima and Tokyo, not a soul could be seen. The falling water formed puddles in the craters pockmarking the roadway. A few brown swallows were standing in one of these pools, using it as their personal birdbath. The sound of water could be heard rapping on the roof of a burned out sedan, its driver still in his seat, little more than blackened bones.

After a time, a new sound could be heard above the gentle din of the rain. The sound of footsteps, hundreds of boots striking the asphalt. As the minutes wore on, a group of men came by the car, most barely giving the remains within a second glance.

They marched in two columns, over a hundred men long. They were covered in large camouflage ponchos, with large green packs strapped securely to their backs. The Kevlar helmets they wore kept the drops of rain from their heads. Black gloved hands were poised on the M-16 rifles that hung across their chests. None of their fingers were far from the trigger, and all kept a wary eye toward the woods near the highway.

At the head of the formation, a man marched a few paces ahead of the right column. His rifle was slung to the side, and he instead carried a tall wooden staff. At the top, near the silver spear-shaped tip, flew a red banner, edged with gold. Some yellow text, written in English, filled the top left and bottom right corners. In the center was an emblem, a golden silhouette of the Earth, an anchor behind it. Atop the Earth sat an eagle, it's wings outstretched.

"Gunny Taff," the man at the head of the left column spoke, his breath visible in the air. "How far to Nekomi?"

The man directly behind the banner man looked at his pace counter, which was a piece of nylon cord with some knots and beads. After a moment, he looked back across the ten foot gap between the two columns. "At the rate we're goin, we ought to be there in about two more hours, sir."

Captain Rojas frowned as he looked at the long, curving stretch of highway before him. "We've been going for almost two hours already, Gunny. You think we should give the men a few minutes to rest?"

"Don't worry about us, sir!" Another man, several places behind Rojas spoke up emphatically. "We can go for another two hours, no problem! Ooh-rah!" The rest of the men echoed with their own 'ooh-rah' as he slowed and moved between the ranks. Once he was near the center of the formation, he began to sing out. "You can keep your Army khakis!" As before, the men of the formation echoed his words with gusto.

_You can keep your Navy blues!_

_Cause I've got someone here,_

_to introduce to you!_

_His uniform is different,_

_unlike you've ever seen!_

_The Germans called him 'Devil Dog',_

_his real name is Marine!_

Rojas smiled proudly at his men. Looking back across the space between them, he yelled to be heard over the cadence. "I suppose we're going to keep going, Gunny."

Taff smirked. "Looks thatta way, sir."

The Captain again looked at the unit banner guiding them onward. It was the banner of his own unit, but most of these men hadn't been under him until less than a month before. It was odd to see such a huge group of riflemen marching behind the flag of an air traffic control detachment, but for some reason it just made Rojas feel little swell of pride. He was still grinning when the cadence ended.

_...and when he gets to Heaven,_

_Saint Peter he will tell,_

_'One more Marine reporting, sir!_

_I've served my time in hell.'

* * *

_

"If you keep pushing yourself like this you're going to die!" Urd yelled, the anger apparent on her face. "Do you understand me? Dead! After that last fight Keos practically had to carry you back."

Sephiroth looked up at the Goddess, who had bent down to complain directly into his ear as he tried to rest. "Your concern is unwarranted. My condition is not nearly as dire as you make it out to be."

She stood up straight, crossing her arms. "The hell it's not! You haven't given yourself more than a day or two of recuperation time in the last month. Every time you jump into battle that wound on your back opens up again. You may be able to fool your little Templar cronies out there with your little tough guy act, but you aren't fooling me." He closed his eyes as he turned his head forward, leaning it back against the wall as he had before she came into the room. She realized that he wasn't listening to her rant, so she tried to temper her irritation before she spoke again. "You need time to heal, and you won't get it as long as you rush out there every time there's word of a raid on the outskirts. There's a gate back to Heaven opening in half an hour..."

"No!" His eyes flashed back to her again, his voice resolute. "I will not return to Heaven while there is a war here on Earth. I will not leave my men."

Urd bent down again, her eyes just as unyielding. "You _are_ returning, Sephiroth, and you are going to stay there until you have healed at least a few of your wounds!" She pointed her finger a centimeter from his nose to accentuate her point. "You're too important to us. I won't let you throw your life away!"

For the first time since she had met him, Urd saw surprise on the man's face. Their eyes remained locked like that for several seconds before she realized what she had said. Clearing her throat a little, she stood and turned away from him. '_I won't let you throw your life away?' 'You're too important to us?' What was that, Urd? He's going to get the wrong idea if you say stuff like that. _For a few moments, the only sound was that of the cold rain falling on the yard just outside the thin wall.

The Templar groaned slightly as he got to his feet behind her. As he slowly walked past her, he didn't bother to look at her as he spoke. "I suppose a week or two won't make that much of a difference."

Urd thought that his voice sounded a little different than usual, but she couldn't decide how exactly. She was too busy trying to wrap her mind around what was happening. _He actually listened to me? I can't believe this._

Just before he reached the door, he paused, drawing Urd from her disbelief. Looking back over his shoulder, his eyes dwelled on her for several seconds. He looked as if he were trying to make a decision.

_What the heck is he staring at? _Cocking her hips slightly, and crossing her arms below her breasts, she gave him a playful grin. "So are you going to say something, or are you just going to stand there and ogle me all day?"

He seemed to stand up a little straighter, if that were possible. Clearing his throat, he moved back over to the Goddess, who was watching him curiously. Not quite sure what was happening, she looked up at him as he stopped right in front of her.

"Here." His simple statement threw her off guard, and her confusion just grew worse when she looked down. The Masamune, the extraordinarily long sword he carried with him, was sitting in its glossy black sheath across his open palm.

"I don't understand," she said truthfully. "Why give it to me? You're the only one who can use it, right?"

"Masamune allows itself to be wielded only by those it deems worthy to hold it," he explained. "However, that doesn't mean that only one person can be capable of wielding it at any one time."

Arching an eyebrow at him, she wondered just what had brought on this strange turn of events. _Why would he think that I could use it? _She sighed, still unsure. "But why pick me, of all people? Just because they made me a First Class Goddess again doesn't mean that I'm some master warrior or something."

He seemed to ponder this for a moment before answering simply, "It's a hunch."

She studied him for a few seconds, trying to figure out what was wrong with him, but could find nothing. _A hunch? I didn't know guys like him even got hunches._ Realizing that he was not going to retract his offer, she shook her head. "Well, if you say so."

As she placed her hands on the smooth, cool sheath, she felt a gentle warmth radiate through her. Lifting the weapon out of the Templar's open hand, Urd was amazed at how light it felt. It was comparable to holding a broom handle.

As she marveled at its physical characteristics, a light tingle touched her fingers, leading her to smile at the weapon. She could hear no words, no thoughts, but somehow she knew that Masamune was saying hello to her.

"I think it will do more good in your hands here on Earth than it would in Heaven with me." Sephiroth's voice drew her mind away from the sword. Urd couldn't believe her eyes when she looked up at him and saw the slightest upward curl at the corners of his mouth. _Is he actually smiling? _ "You will be it's guardian until I return."

"You don't have to worry, Sephiroth," she spoke reassuringly, holding the Masamune protectively to her. "I think we can manage without you for a couple weeks. Just relax and take it easy. Masamune and I will be here when you get back, safe and sound."

"That is," the hint of a smile remained as he paused briefly, "good to know." Turning, he left the room, striding out into the rain.

Urd watched him as he disappeared around the corner of the temple house. "Well, I guess it's just you and me for a while, eh?" She turned her eyes on the long, curved sword that she held. Feeling it tingle her fingers again, she laughed suddenly. "No, of course not! Why would you think that?"

She paused as the holy weapon communicated with her again. Her expression softened, her voice following suit. "Well, yeah, I guess he can be alright when he wants to be. Most of the time he's just a big jerk, though!"

* * *

"I know you've been here for eight hours already, but the patrol ran long and I'm giving them an extra hour to rest."

"C'mon, Keos," the Templar's shoulders slumped, "It's not my fault they're so slow! Why do I have to stand guard at the temple for another hour cause of them?"

Keos shook his head in frustration. "Listen to you. This is one of the easiest jobs in the city. What are you so eager to go do?"

"Well, you know how the saying goes," the other God smiled slyly and nudged Keos with his elbow, "Earth girls are easy!" He gave a chuckle at his own joke, but Keos was not amused.

"Watch yourself, Ergaddas." His voice was so harsh, the other Templar stopped his laugh rather abruptly. "You know the rules about that sort of thing. Taking advantage of the women on Earth is strictly prohibited! If I hear you say something like that again, you'll be guarding the construction crews for ten hours!"

"Whoa, easy there, Keos!" Ergaddas held his hands up defensively, a little indignant at being chewed out. "You used to be cool, man. I was just kidding."

Rubbing a hand over his face, Keos sighed as he nodded. "I know, Erg. They're just running me a little ragged, that's all. I've been doing crap like this sixteen hours a day since Lady Peorth left."

Ergaddas chuckled again, patting him roughly on the shoulder. "Sounds like you need a vacation, Mr. Second-in-command. It seems like dealing with Lord Sephiroth alone would be enough to string someone out."

"You don't know the half of it."

"So why'd the patrol run so late? Did they find anything?" He asked, looking at Keos.

This garnered an amused huff as he briefly shook his head. "As a matter of fact, they didn't find anything. Not a single enemy."

"I guess we shouldn't complain, but that's kinda weird."

"Yeah, it is," Keos responded, running a hand through his long black hair, which was still wet from the rain. "We usually find something, thin out their numbers a little before they hit us with another raid. Maybe they're adapting to our tactics or our patrol patterns. I'll have to talk with Lord Sephiroth about changing things up a little."

"Well, I guess since ya asked so nicely, I'll go ahead and stand duty for another hour." Ergaddas gave his superior a wink. "It's only cause it's you, though. I expect to be taken out on a proper date when we get back home."

Keos replied with deadly seriousness. "I don't date co-workers." The two burst into laughter at once. Holding his side, it felt good to finally have a reason to laugh. It seemed like it had been forever since he had been able to joke around with the guys. Catching his breath, Keos squeezed the other God's shoulder. "Your relief will be here before you know it. I'll see you later."

Floating away from the makeshift guard post on top of the temple wall corner, he took his time making his way to the main house. He was already thoroughly soaked from flying all over the city for several hours, so the light rain provided little incentive to get a move on. He had used his power to fend off the chill, but the droplets had still made his fingers nearly numb.

It was definitely tiring, being the senior Templar. Except for Sephiroth, Keos was the God in charge. Everyone else who had been above him on Earth had been on the disastrous attack on the Cruel Angel, which left him in the difficult position of keeping things in order among the remaining deployed Templars.

It was certainly tiring, and had left almost no time at all for him to maintain his warrior skills. Keos had always set his sense of humor as one of his most redeeming qualities, but he had always been a natural when it came to combat. Though he hadn't said anything to his friends, he had actually been considering trying to attain a Special Class qualification, something that was reserved for only the most talented First Class Templars, like Lord Sephiroth. _Of course, since I've barely practiced at all since I came to Earth, I'd probably just make an idiot out of myself._

Still, being in charge of so much wasn't all bad. It gave him an excuse to talk to his favorite idol Goddess. Keos, like most other Templars, was a fan of one of the three Norn sisters. Many liked Belldandy for her kind smile and beautiful smile. Some had begun to take notice of Skuld as she grew into a lovely young lady, full of youthful energy. For many years Keos had secretly harbored a predilection for the eldest of the three.

As the weeks on Earth wore on, Keos had been convinced that the nervousness that accompanied speaking with Lady Urd would fade. Somehow, it had actually become worse. Every time they talked about the Humans, or defenses, or whatever happened to be pressing at the moment, he was sure that she would finally see through him and realize what he was thinking. So far his secret had remained hidden to everyone, though, something he was indescribably thankful for.

The exhausted Templar reached the temple, sitting heavily on the edge of the porch, barely noticing he wasn't being rained on anymore. Sighing audibly, he rested his elbows on his knees, rubbing his eyes and temples. _Good grief, look at me. I'm supposed to be keeping the military operations in this whole freaking city running smoothly, and all I can think about is her. It would be so much easier for me if I didn't get to see her so often._

"Keos." The voice of his commander surprised him, his body almost leaping to its feet before he knew it. "What are you doing?"

He blinked the water out of his eyes, automatically running the situation through his mind to make sure he wasn't doing anything wrong. "Well, I just finished my rounds, sir. I was just taking a few minutes to rest before I made my report."

The taller God simply nodded, then looked up at the overcast sky. "I will be returning to Heaven for a few weeks. You are officially in charge of the Templars here until I get back."

Again Keos found himself a bit off balance. "Sir? You're putting me in charge of our forces?"

"That is correct," he answered. "Lady Urd is still in overall command of Nekomi, but you are responsible for the safety and success of the Templars here." He paused for a moment, then continued. "Lady Urd, as you know, is somewhat impulsive. I have confidence that she can take care of herself, however, the Templars are the defenders of Heaven and all who dwell there. I trust you will take the needed precautions to ensure her safety."

"Uh, yes, sir. I won't let you down." He could manage to think of little else to say.

"Good." He said nothing else as he crossed the yard to wait for the gate back to Heaven. Keos was simply dumbfounded, staring at nothing in particular.

_I wanted to stay away from Lady Urd so I could relax a little, and now I get to spend even more time with her? How the hell am I going to survive all this?

* * *

_

Keiichi wore a confused look as he stood in the hallway, staring into the room Urd was in. He had been on his way back from the kitchen with a tea tray when he noticed the Goddess standing there, talking to what appeared to be no one. _Well, this _is _Urd we're talking about here._ Satisfied with his own pseudo-explanation, he shrugged and continued on to his room.

"What took you so long, Kei?" Megumi looked up from an old photo album. He could see pictures of Belldandy and himself from around four years before, not long after she had first arrived on Earth.

_Things were so much easier back then. Nothing to do but spend our time together, making each other happy._ "Well, Urd was in the other room, talking to herself. I guess my curiosity got the better of me."

Of course, while these pictures made Keiichi feel quite nostalgic, Megumi had a different reason for sifting through his collection of Belldandy pictures. She shrugged at his answer, looking back at the photos. "You know, Kei, I still can't believe you didn't tell me."

He groaned as he sat the tray down. "Don't start this again, Megumi. We've had this conversation a hundred times." He couldn't say that he was surprised that she said something, he had been waiting for it from the moment he saw the album.

"But we're family! Siblings!" She pretended to be deeply hurt, holding the back of her hand dramatically over her eyes. "You could have at least told me that I was going to have a Goddess for a sister-in-law!"

"S-Sister-in-law? Whatever, I'm only going to say this one more time. I couldn't tell anyone because…" His voice trailed off as the phone began to ring in the hall. "I'll be right back."

Sliding back the door to his room, he walked a few paces down the hallway to the phone. Urd peeked her head around the corner further down the hall, then smiled and disappeared as he motioned that he would answer it. Bringing the receiver up to his ear, he spoke. "Hello?"

"Keiichi?"

The young man's eyes widened in surprise at the voice he heard. "Belldandy? Bell is that really you?"

"Keiichi, I'm so sorry I couldn't call you before now." Even though he could only hear her, he could tell by her voice that tears were forming in her eyes. "Technically, I'm not supposed to be using this line, but Ceres insisted."

"I'm just glad to hear your voice again, Bell." He couldn't help wearing a wide smile as he thought of her up there, wishing as much as he was that they could reach through the phone and touch each other. "Be sure to tell Ceres thanks for me."

"I will, dear," she replied. He could hear a tiny sniffle before she continued. "So how are things down there? Is Urd doing alright?"

"She's been really busy since they promoted her," he told her. "After Peorth went back to Heaven, Urd has pretty much been in charge of the civilian population. She's been working with Lord Sephiroth a lot, too, trying to help coordinate the city's defenses. I don't know how she can keep up with it."

"Oh my. Well, Urd has always been at her best when presented with a challenging situation." Bell was worried about her sister, but plainly believed in her, as well. "I hope she won't have too much trouble taking care of everything until next week."

"What do you mean?" She had his curiosity piqued. "What happens next week?"

"Oh, that's why I called," her voice practically overflowed with cheer. "The Healers said I'm almost ready to get the spirit modification. I'll be coming back to Earth on Tuesday!"

Keiichi could barely contain his own joy at the news. "That's great, Bell! Just in time for Christmas! It'll be really good to see you again. I've missed you."

"I miss you too, Keiichi." He could feel the emotion in her voice. "I miss you so very much. It's going to be difficult to wait, even if it is just a few days away."

He suddenly wondered if his reunion with Bell would be more complicated than he first thought. "Will Skuld be coming with you?"

"No decision has been made yet," she told him, "but I'm going to do my best to make sure she gets to come back, even if it is just for a little while. She'll never admit it, but she misses you and Urd." She laughed for a few seconds. "Besides, I heard that you promised her ice cream when she gets back."

He couldn't help but chuckle as well. _ I forgot about that._ "Don't worry, I'll scrounge up as much as I can find before she gets back."

"Oh dear." Her voice saddened as she spoke again, "I have to get off the line. I'll see you next week!"

"I'll be here," he replied.

"I love you, Keiichi."

"I love you, too, Belldandy." With that, the line disconnected. He stood there, receiver to his ear, for almost a minute.

Peorth had told him almost three weeks ago that Bell would make a full recovery. However, he hadn't had any contact with his love since that fateful day that the voices came. He remembered those moments in terrifying clarity. Belldandy's pained screams, Skuld crying like a child, and finding Urd to frightened to even move. That day was the last time he had seen Bell and Skuld. It was the better part of two weeks before he even knew that they would be okay.

Now, after what had seemed like forever, he had been able to hear her voice. It was like someone who had been wandering the desert for days being given a cool glass of water. Still, he suspected what he felt right then was far sweeter than that.

"Less than a week," he said to himself. It felt even farther away than the month he had already waited. "No! I can deal with this. Just a matter of days, now. I can deal with this." Clenching his fists before him, he looked up at the ceiling. "Yes! I would wait forever if I had to! I'll be here waiting for you, Belldandy!"

He froze when he heard a quiet giggle from the end of the hall. "He's cute when he gets that 'warrior of love' look to him." His cheeks felt quite hot as he slowly turned. Urd was again looking around the corner at him, the hilt of a large sword visible just below her, as if it were peeking into the hall as well. She suddenly laughed again, "Yeah, he's a good guy. Perfect for Belldandy."

"Uh, Urd," he smiled weakly, "who are you talking to?"

The white haired Goddess merely pointed at the sword, as if it were obvious.

Quickly moving over to her, he grabbed her free wrist and pulled her floating form back toward his room. "I think the pressure is starting to get to you, Urd. Megumi and I are having some tea in my room. Why don't you come and have a hot cup? I think it'll be good for you to relax for a while."

* * *

AN:

Arc II begins! Well, quite a bit has happened over the month (in the story) since the events at the end of the first arc. Obviously there are still a few more characters we need to catch up with, but we'll see some of them next chapter.

Please note that when I first wrote this chapter, it was December of 2002 (I think), so that's why the Christmas thing is in the story (a little out of season, now…hehe).

I'm glad you guys have stuck with me this far, and I hope to keep you all the way to the end (and really finish this time!). These chapters will be a little more complicated and generally longer than in the first arc, so I'm going to scale back to one chapter per week for now. Hopefully that will be a more realistic schedule for me.

To (): Holy crap, I can't believe you're back! I remember you were with me almost from the beginning of this story the first time. I'm glad you're back. Surprising you've been hanging around ff net for so long and still don't have a log in. Or maybe you do, and you just use () when you don't want to sign in?

Again, thanks for reading, and double thanks to the reviewers! See you next chapter.

Katamari Damacy


	12. Arc II Chap 02 Of Times Remembered

_Arc II: Chapter Two_

_Of Times Remembered_

The air was cool, though not what one might consider cold. Even as the seasons changed on Earth, the weather in Heaven was never far above or below a pleasant room temperature, and the skies were never long obscured by clouds. When night rolled around, the atmosphere would darken just enough to see the bright stars, while still remaining light enough to see as one walked down the smooth stone roads.

Heaven was a place completely devoted to a single thing, running reality. Most Celestials worked for Yggdrasil in one way or another. Some toiled away maintaining and upgrading the hardware, crawling around in the access areas to work amidst the infinite cables and circuit boards. Others worked as programmers, endlessly designing and writing newer, more efficient software to make the Yggdrasil computer run at its best. Many were operators, working the system and searching for viruses or bugs within the network. There were even schools devoted to bringing up young Celestials to take their places as the next generation of Yggdrasil caretakers.

As with any place so devoted to a single 'industry', a need existed for more mundane ways to spend one's time off. Thick forests could be seen in every direction, surrounding the Eternal City, while parks gave rise to trees within the city's borders. A great waterfall came down a hundred meters to form a river that flowed near Yggdrasil's tower home. It continued through the city to feed the legendary Crystal Sea, shimmering beautifully during the day and glowing ethereally at night.

Many places spotted the landscape of Heaven that Celestials used to rest and relax. One of these places was known as the Emerald District. No one knew why it was called this, as there were emeralds to be seen. Even so, the district was normally buzzing with activity as Gods and Goddesses searched for ways to pass their free time. It was home to the Goddess Mall and numerous restaurants and bars. It was a place to forget the day's troubles and have fun with friends.

In the month since the appearance of the Cruel Angel, however, the normally very busy district was virtually deserted. Occasionally a small group of Celestials would wander through, laughing and carrying on, happy to have a few hours away from work. These were the exceptions. After the Hell Storm, almost every God and Goddess was on call, most working double shifts. Unused areas of Yggdrasil had been converted into sleeping areas for the many who didn't even leave work for days on end.

The Goddess Relief Office, once thought of as a pleasant and rewarding place to work, became one of the most overworked sections in all of Heaven. The worldwide disaster had so increased the number of humans requiring help that the GRO could no longer keep up. The critical personnel shortage that emerged not only consumed the waking hours of those who already worked there, but created a new rank of young Goddesses with probationary Second Class licenses.

This grab for Goddesses who had yet to complete their training amounted to a draft, however no one complained. They were desperately needed to help free the more senior Goddesses from more mundane work. At the Goddess Relief Office, this frequently meant updating the backlogged list of humans requiring relief. All too often these girls would have to remove a name from the list, replacing it with an annotation that the mortal had perished while awaiting intervention.

Even with the backlog of work, seniors knew that their people would need a break now and then. Thus, one could occasionally find a figure or two making their way through the Emerald District, and this evening was no exception. This one didn't move with any abnormal amount of speed, but he had a destination.

His dark brown hair reached just below his shoulders, swaying slightly with each step. A navy blue cloak was wrapped around him, concealing his body from view, and rippled slightly around his dark boots. On his face he bore three blue marks, shaped like a tear drop with three points extending upward from the rounded base.

Gilgamesh made his way past the displays on the outside of the Goddess Mall, glancing occasionally at the clothing, jewelry, furniture, and other assorted things that were meant to attract the business of the casual shopper. The storefronts made him think of the days when he came here with all his friends. Xander, Ex, Keos, Chrono, everyone would make their way through these places at least once a week. The Gods would stand around impatiently as the Goddesses looked for new outfits and jewelry. Soon enough it was the girls turn to tap their feet as the warriors looked at a new fishing rod or some such thing.

A smile crept onto his face as he recalled the memories. _It was always the same thing. _ As quickly as it appeared, however, his grin vanished. _It won't ever be the same again, though. Even after the war is over, too many have suffered for things to ever be the way they were before._

His pace increased, as if he were unconsciously fleeing from his darkening thoughts. He passed a few other Celestials along the way, but didn't greet or even look at them. At that moment, there was only one thing he could think of.

Gil stopped short, realizing that he had just passed his destination. Looking up at it, the place looked nothing like the other buildings in the district, or in the rest of Heaven for that matter. The normal stone construction was abandoned for this establishment, which was instead made of wood. The steps were a little rickety, and wooden sign with faded writing on it was suspended from the overhang in front. _Odin's Bar-B-Q and Pub_ could be read when the light shone on the old signboard. _It's not like it ever needed a sign. Everyone in Heaven knows this place._

Grabbing hold of the old, pitted iron handle on the great oak door, he slowly pulled it open, the ancient looking hinges making only the tiniest of squeaks. The large room within was warm and held a thin scent of mesquite smoke, coming from a huge fireplace that took up half the wall to his left. Most of the glowing light came from those hot embers and the few oil lamps that were hanging from the many pillars that supported the ceiling. Numerous old weapons and pictures adorned the walls. A fine layer of sawdust covered the floorboards, a few footprints barely visible in the dim light.

Quietly making his way over to the bar, he gave a respectful wave to a group of five old Templars near the fire. A number of empty mugs cluttered their table as they raised their half-full steins to their younger comrade. Their raucous laughter was filling the whole pub with ease, something that Gil was thankful for. It wouldn't have felt right if the old watering hole was silent.

The old, gray-bearded barkeep glanced up from cleaning one of his large steins when the young Celestial sat heavily onto one of the stools. Neither said a word for several minutes, letting the occasional crackle of burning logs and the drunken singing of the old men fill the void.

_The holly green, the ivy green,  
the prettiest picture ye've ever seen  
is Christmas in Killarney  
with all a' the folks at home!  
It's nice, ya know, ta kiss yer beau,  
an cuddlin under the mistletoe,  
an Santa Clause ya know, of course,  
is one a tha boys from home!_

Gil took a deep breath and sighed. _That's right, Christmas is coming up soon, isn't it? I hadn't even thought about it._ His mind wandered back to the previous December. They had all gone out to the Goddess Mall and started caroling for some reason that Gil couldn't remember. He did remember that Keos had been less than thrilled with the idea, and poor Chrono was as embarrassed as could be. _Apparently, we were pretty good, since people started tossing coins on the ground right in front of us._

A distant smile grew on his face as he remembered that night. They had all come here, to Odin's, to spend their singing profits. The guys, with artificially inflated courage, made their 'heartfelt feelings' known to the Goddesses, who seemed to take great pleasure in flatly rejecting the confessions. The next thing he knew, Gil was dancing atop one of the tables with Xander, singing the same song he was hearing now. He could see the girls happily clapping along, and Barbarus trying not to fall out of his chair from laughter as Keos loudly proclaimed that the two Gods weren't showing enough leg.

His weak grin quickly faded as he realized something else he hadn't thought of. That was the last Christmas they would all spend together. Xander and Barbarous were already gone, and Keos was still on Earth. There was no guarantee that Gil would come out of this war alive either, since he was sure to be re-deployed as soon as his charges fully recovered from their ordeals.

The sound of a glass being set on the waxed surface of the bar brought him out of his ruminations. His brown eyes peered up at the ancient looking barkeep, who was pouring him a drink from a dusty old bottle with no label. "I dinna like it when someone comes in an does ne order anythin'."

Gil looked at the drink he didn't ask for. "What is this stuff, old man?"

The wrinkled face scrunched up as he looked at the bottle, then shrugged. "No idea, lad."

He had to let out a small, huff of a laugh at that. Taking the small glass in hand, he upended it in one gulp. The glass came back to the counter rather hard as the Templar grimaced and coughed a few times. "It's gasoline," he wheezed out, "definitely gasoline."

A smile could be seen beneath the barkeeps beard as he chuckled a bit. "Well, ye looked like ye might need sumthin with a bit ah kick to it."

As the elder God poured another glass, Gil cleared his throat with a rough sound. "Could you just leave the bottle?" The man nodded quietly, and went back to the end of the bar, where his already clean mugs required further wiping with his rag.

Taking his next drink slower, Gilgamesh's mind wandered again, back to when he was still just a child. Xander had just learned how to use basic fire programs and, as his 'elder brother', felt the need to teach Gil how to use them too. For his part the young Gilgamesh was thrilled and excited to have his best friend and upper classmen teach him something that he wasn't supposed to know yet. In fact he was so thrilled and so excited that he put far too much power into the program and ended up blowing the head off a nearby statue.

Xander started calling him 'Killer' after that, a nickname that still surfaced from time to time after they became Templars. He claimed that Gil's deadly aim showed that he had a destiny to become a great warrior, or something like that. Their instructors didn't think as highly of the display as he did, however, and they both had their powers suspended for a month.

Taking another slow sip of his dark drink, he heard light footsteps on the wooden floor behind him. "Would you mind if I sit with you?"

He recognized the polite voice even before he turned to motion Belldandy to take a seat. She was wearing her blue Goddess robes, her hair pulled up into a ponytail with a gold clasp. She sat on the stool to his right, looking around at the old bar as if it was the first time she had ever been in one. "What'll you have?" he asked her.

She smiled sweetly as she turned to him. "I've never been in here before. Do they serve tea?"

The God couldn't help but chuckle as he shook his head. "I don't think they have anything like that here, Lady Belldandy."

She nodded in understanding. "Well then, I suppose I'll just have whatever you're having."

"Uh, you may not like it. It's got a pretty powerful flavor to it." That was putting it mildly. "Hey, old man!" He called down the counter as he raised his arm a little. "Something light for the lady here. Put it on my tab."

"Oh, thank you, Lord Gilgamesh," she chirped, "but you don't have to do that for me."

He put his hand up and grinned a little. "It's alright, I want to." Pouring himself another glass, he continued, "You don't need to call me 'lord', either. Just Gilgamesh is fine with me."

"I'll call you Gilgamesh," she countered, "if you'll just call me Belldandy."

"Fair enough," he said, raising his glass a little to her.

"By the way, Gilgamesh," she began after a moment, "I wanted to congratulate you on your promotion! I was told that you just made First Order earlier today."

"I appreciate it." His voice was a bit dour as he responded. "The higher ups didn't have much choice though. So many First Order Templars were lost on Earth that they had to promote. There wasn't even a sparring match against my seniors to see if I had what it took, they just gave it to me. Doesn't feel like I earned it at all. It's more like they just replaced Xander with me."

Her smile didn't fade at his words at all. "You've worked hard all your life. I'm certain that you deserve that promotion as much as anyone." He was certain that had anyone else spoken those words to him, he would have felt patronized. For some reason, though, he didn't get that feeling from her at all. "I understand that it's difficult to move on when you've lost someone you care about, but you must not let that hold your life back."

The men across the room started to sing again, drawing their attention to the group of elder Templars. The pair at the bar turned around in their seats to watch them as they raised their mugs into the air, arms around each other's shoulders, and filled the room with their voices.

_Up the narrow street he stepped, so smiling, proud and young.  
About the hemp-rope on his neck, the golden ringlets clung.  
There's ne'er a tear in his blue eyes, fearless and brave are they,  
As young Roddy McCorley goes to die on the bridge of Toome today._

"I'm not sure I understand." Gil looked at the Goddess beside him, who looked as if she were puzzling out a complicated equation. "They all sound so happy, but the song is about a young man dying."

"It's an old Irish song. From what I understand, they don't see death as a time to be sad, but a time to celebrate the life of those no longer with us. I guess that's why those songs are so popular with the Templars." He let out a quiet sigh. "I used to sing them with my friends, but it's kind of hard to celebrate a friend's memory when you know that you can never create new memories with them."

They were both silent for a few moments, listening to the song of the boisterous old men. "There is nothing wrong with missing someone who was close to you." He looked over to see a warm smile emanating from the Goddess. "However, continuing to live your life, with the memories you hold in your heart, will ensure that he will never truly be gone. As long as you remember him, he will always be with you."

For the first time in days, he felt his heart warm a little, and he rewarded her efforts to cheer him up with a genuine smile. "Thanks, Belldandy."

"Skuld asked about you today," she said out of the blue, causing the young warrior to blush as he turned back to the bar. "She said that she hadn't seen you in several days. Since Ex came back to Yggdrasil today, she's been a little bored. She denied it of course, but I suspect that she wanted to spend some time with you."

This wasn't something he wanted to talk about. He knew he should just come right out and say what was on his mind, but he just couldn't for some reason. That was why he had made himself scarce the last few days. Unfortunately, he hadn't really thought of any way to deflect the conversation. "Uh, well, you know, I've been kind of busy. The promotion and all that."

"Oh my," she giggled. "With a response like that, someone might think you were avoiding her."

_Dammit!_ "Uh, th-that's not, I mean…" They were both silent for a moment, and since the singing had paused while the next tune was decided, it was uncomfortably quiet.

Then Belldandy's hurt voice cut through the air. "You _are_ trying to avoid her." He felt as if he had been stabbed through the heart. He couldn't take it. If he felt horrible now, what would it be like when Skuld heard?

"It's not what you think, Lady Belldandy," he instinctively addressed her politely in reaction to her pained voice. "I just, well, I just don't want her to be more hurt than she has to be." This drew a perplexed look from the Goddess.

"I don't understand what you're saying, but avoiding her is definitely going to hurt her feelings."

Gill lowered his voice as he decided to just come right out and say it. "Well, you're going back to Earth soon, and with my promotion, it's almost guaranteed that I'll be getting orders to head back as well. There's no doubt that we're going to go after the Cruel Angel again at some point, and if I die down there…" He hesitated a moment before continuing. "Well, I just don't want anyone else to have to go through what Ex did."

He stared down at his half empty glass. _There, I said it. That wasn't so hard._ But before he could think much further, he felt a gentle squeeze on his shoulder. Looking up, he could see a reassuring light in her eyes. "Skuld knows how dangerous things are for everyone right now, and I'm sure that she's ready for whatever happens. Besides, I'm going to talk with some friends of mine and see if we can't pull a few strings. I'm sure everything will work out." Her smile radiated so much confidence, that he couldn't help but feel the same way. He didn't even think to ask what she meant by pulling 'a few strings'.

The old man had made his way back down the bar and set a glass down in front of them. "Here ya go, lass. It's been a long time since I saw ya last."

She looked at him in confusion for a second as Gil brought his drink to his lips. Suddenly, recognition lit up her face as she reached across the bar to wrap the old man in a tight hug. "Uncle Odin!"

Gilgamesh spit his drink all the way to the back wall. _Uncle Odin?_ Sucking in a quick breath, he managed to blurt out, "Odin? _The_ Odin? The First Templar? You never said a thing to us!"

Bell was now half-floating over the bar, still tightly embracing the old God. "Nobody e'er asked," he stated simply, a smile on his lips.

"I've been calling you old man for years! If I'd known…"

"If ye'd known, lad," he gruffly interrupted, "ye'd ne'er ave been able ta be yerself in here. Besides, after hundreds ah years o hero worship, it's nice ta just be known as 'old man'."

"I'm sorry, Uncle Odin." Belldandy pulled away, looking as if she'd just ruined someone's birthday party. "I didn't realize that you were trying to keep your identity a secret."

A not so subtle guffaw echoed through the pub. "It's alrigh', lassie. This old man's jus happy ta see ya again!"

"Ohhh! Uncle Odin, maybe you can help!" She returned to a happy state faster than Gil could blink his eyes. "I wanted Skuld, you remember her, to be able to go back to Earth with me. She still can't use her powers very well, so it would be a little dangerous for her, with the war and all." She put her hand on the young Templar's shoulder again. "Do you think you could talk to someone and have Gilgamesh here assigned as Skuld's bodyguard?"

Gil's brown eyes went wide as saucers. "What? N-Now wait a second…"

"Sure I can!" Odin's bellows again seemed to shake the whole bar. "I'll jus' head on over in tha mornin' an talk ta the Almighty 'imself!"

_The Almighty? _Holding both hands up to try and calm their enthusiasm, Gil tried to get a word in edgewise. "You really don't have…"

"Thank you, Uncle Odin!" She hugged him again, then looked over to the beet-red God sitting next to her. "Isn't that wonderful, Gilgamesh? You'll get to spend lot's of time with Skuld, now!"

He wanted nothing more than to hide at that moment. "Yeah, uh, thank y-"

His quiet voice was drowned out by the tremendously loud belly laugh that the ancient warrior let loose. "I see now! Ye fancy tha little lassie, don'cha? Ye better take care o' Skuld, lad, or ye'll be answerin ta me!"

Gil tried to bury his head in his arms, as he considered crawling beneath the bar. He could feel his cheeks burning in embarrassment, but under it all he felt a little happy. A small smile, hidden from the others, crept onto his crimson face.

Skuld's bodyguard. _That doesn't sound too bad._

_

* * *

_

_Could this get any worse?_

Israfel massaged his temples, trying to drive away the headache that was beginning to irritate him as much as their situation.

"I'm hungry, Is-Is!" Kidara's whining wasn't making his headache any better. "Can't I go with you this time to get food? It's so boring in this stupid cave!"

At least he could agree with her on that point. The few Demons that had stayed with his group, twenty-three of them to be exact, were using these caves as a hideout for their remoteness. It was easier to hide here, but on the other hand, food was a bit of a chore to obtain.

Normally, they wouldn't even need food, but since Hell had fallen, the system was being more and more erratic. Sometimes the connection would simply disappear, leaving them with only the power reserves in their bodies, which didn't last very long in combat. To make matters worse, the system in Hell could track the locations of Demons who used a significant amount of power. Whatever it was that attacked might find them the moment they tried to conjure up something.

Thus Israfel and a few of the other remaining Demons had been forced to make raids on burned out human towns, sifting through the wreckage for foodstuffs. It was degrading, to be sure, but he could think of no other way to stay alive and hidden.

"No, Kidara. How many times do I have to tell you, we don't go on these raids for fun." He did his best to keep his voice level. Having his little sister loose her temper and do something stupid could easily get them all killed.

A pair of skinny arms wrapped around his neck, her lips right next to his ear as she spoke at normal volume. "C'mon, Is-Is! I promise I won't bother you!"

"You're bothering me now," he snapped. He was a little surprised when she didn't respond, and even more surprised when her arms slid away from him. Looking over at her, he sighed. She was sitting on her feet, her hands folded in her lap. Her lip was trembling and her red eyes, which were looking at the stone floor of the cave, were beginning to tear up.

Leaning his head back against the rock wall, he closed his eyes. He put a hand on the young girl's head, sighing again. "How in the world are you a Demon? Crying at something like that." She sniffed a little, but seemed pleased at her brother's pseudo-sign of affection. "We're still in a precarious situation, Kidara. One mistake and we're all history."

She was quiet for another few seconds before responding quietly. "Like Uno-pon?"

Israfel had never explained to her that Unowe was dead, and wasn't coming back. She had seen it happen, but couldn't wrap her mind around it. The first three weeks, every time he came back from a food raid, she would ask if he had found Unowe, but the last few days, she had been conspicuously quiet about him. _I guess she finally realized what happened._ "Yeah. Like him."

She nodded a little under his hand. Standing up, he started toward the entrance of the cave. "You're going to stay here like I asked, right?" He called over his shoulder to her. "You're not going to use your powers, are you?"

"Bring me back some peanut butter cups!" He slumped a little at how abruptly she had returned to her hyper-cheerful self.

"Sure, sure," he nodded in resignation. "I'll do my best."

_For Hild's sake, why do I have to put up with this crap?_

A few minutes later, he was leaping from treetop to treetop, zooming to the town he had raided the day before yesterday. He hoped that there was still some food left in the rubble. Thankfully, he didn't have to worry about water. One of the caves they had occupied had a small spring within, supplying them with what they needed. It would have been hell to find enough liquid to keep them all going, let alone carrying it back.

It was only ten minutes later that Israfel found himself getting winded, his lungs and legs burning. The damn system had cut off again, and left him without a power source. Dropping down to the dirt in a small clearing, he immediately plopped onto an old, uprooted tree. Panting, he leaned forward, hands on his knees.

He had no idea how long it would take for his power supply to return, but past experience told him it could be anywhere between an hour to three days. In other words, he was going to have to walk the last three or four kilometers to the town. The Demon groaned out loud as he cursed his misfortune, something that had become a bit of a habit over the last month.

That was when he heard it. The snap of a dead limb that had fallen to the ground, probably during the Hell Storm. He froze, holding his breath within his tight chest, listening carefully. Opening his senses a bit, he heard the ever-present voices try to invade his mind. Pushing them aside, he felt a presence, something he had never felt before, and it was close.

_Shit! It's behind me!_ Diving to the side, he heard an angry growl as the thick fallen tree shifted loudly, bits of wood raining on him. Scrambling to his feet, he spun around to see his assailant.

They locked eyes, at least, he thought those were its eyes. The thing was a huge quadruped, patches of dark fur spotting the pinkish, bloated flesh. It stood at least a meter and a half at the shoulders, and two short tentacles were growing out of its back. Its maw was a forest of yellowed fangs, dripping saliva as it let out a guttural growl.

_Great, now the freaking animals are being corrupted, too? _He didn't even have time to lament his horrible luck before it lunged at him again. Its snarl gave the Demon a split second of warning before it came. Not much, but it was enough.

Drawing together his power was a strain, but he forced it into his arms as he made a quick chant in the Infernal tongue. Releasing his energy, a fiery ball flew from his hands. The creature had closed too much of the distance, however, and when the fireball exploded in the creature's mouth, it was only an arm's reach away.

Not only did he feel the heat scorch his face and hands, the mass of the monster impacted him heavily. He was dazed, and as he shook the stars from his vision, he found himself on his back several meters away from the thrashing animal. He had to get away.

It was proving to be quite difficult however, as his limbs didn't want to respond. He managed to flip himself over, and was scrambling toward the tree line when the creature was suddenly quiet again. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw it slowly stalking him, far more cautious of him than before.

Quickly looking about him, he searched for something that he could use. Anything. All he could find, though, were some dry and brittle branches and a few stupid rocks. _You gotta be kidding me! I survived the fall of Hell itself, and I get killed by a mutant bear in the middle of freaking nowhere!_

The creature was looming closer, Israfel could smell it now. It was like a steak that had been left out for days mixed with sour milk. He didn't even know how fast he was breathing, how hard his heart was beating against his ribs. All he could see was the blackened jowls of the thing that was about to kill him. As it lunged at him again, all he could think of was, '_Not like this.'_

A rush of air blew past as a dark blur zoomed over his prone body. The creature was thrown back by the small form, followed quickly by a blinding flash. His ears were buzzing, and his watery eyes were slowly clearing. He wasn't sure if it had been seconds or minutes, all he knew was he couldn't move.

The dark form moved strangely, almost staggering over toward him. The closer it got, the more certain he was that it was human shaped. They were wearing a tattered cloak, a hood pulled over its head. As they stumbled beside him, they dropped haphazardly to their knees, a small, darkly tanned hand falling on his chest to steady itself.

"Are you unhurt, Israfel?" The quiet, child-like voice of a girl was not what he had been expecting.

He was still trying to catch his breath, but still managed to gasp out a response. "I guess. Who are you? How do you know my name?" She seemed to be putting most of her weight on his chest, but he barely felt it. Whoever she was, she was very light.

"We are tired. Take us somewhere that we can rest. We will tell you the rest later." With that, she flopped forward onto him, her hood falling away from her dark face and white hair. The sleeping girl looked as if she was eight or nine years old, but the red star centered on her forehead told him something else entirely.

* * *

A/N 

I know, I'm horribly late. I tried to get this up as soon as I finished it, so there are probably mistakes. Please let me know about anything major so I can fix it. I will endeavor to do better from now onward.

Important to note: In this story Celestials and Infernals are _not_ immortal, age wise. Those who are youger, like Belldandy or Israfel, age at a rate a little slower than humans (maybe about 120-150 years). The oldest, like Odin, live much longer (like thousands of years). Think of it like the people who lived in Genesis. The first humans lived 800-1000 years, and it steadily decreased as the generations progressed. It's kind of like that.

I can't really make the generalization that all Irish people think of death in the way that I described in the chapter. I heard it somewhere, and I suppose it's just a stereotype of some sort, but it fit the story, so there you go. If someone is offended (though I don't see why anybody would be), I apologize.

The two songs, _Christmas in Killarney_ and _Roddy McCorley_ were pieces that I heard sung by a group called the Irish Rovers. I think they're old folk songs.

Thanks to you reviewers out there, and again I'm sorry for the wait for this chapter.

Katamari Damacy


	13. Arc II Chap 03 Resounding Arms

_Arc II: Chapter 03_

_Resounding Arms_

"No way! That's not fair!"

Urd groaned as she rolled her eyes. "What are you babbling about now, Marler?"

"You cheated!" The Demon growled in anger as she pointed around at random. "There's no other way that you could've beaten me that easily!"

The white haired Goddess covered her mouth as she gave a dainty laugh. "Oh my, Marler, why would I ever have to cheat? I could beat you a hundred times in a row if I so desired." Her eyes quickly narrowed and focused on her opponent. "I just can't help it if I'm that good."

"I've had enough of your stupid gloating!" The Demon's fangs were visible as she snarled angrily. "This time I'm going to wipe the floor with you."

"Care to make a little wager on that?" Urd flashed a confident smile, taunting the Demon with the tone of her voice. "We'll say that the winner gets a bottle of sake, a good bottle, not that garbage you gave me last time. Plus the looser gives the winner a back rub."

The Demon was grinning impishly. "It's a bet! You're gonna regret this one, girl."

"Are you ready to loose, Marler?"

"I'm gonna make you eat those words, Urd. Game on!"

The television lit up to reveal the Pokemon Stadium level of Super Smash Brothers Melee. On one side of the screen was Bowser, being played by Marler. On the other side was Pichu, wearing its blue scarf and flight goggles, who was the chosen avatar of Urd.

Their fingers flew across the controls, almost too fast to be seen. The characters on screen performed an intricate dance as they responded to their master's commands. Bowser used his flame breath. Pichu teleported behind the great lizard and used its thunderbolt attack. Bowser quickly recovered and grabbed the small Pokemon, biting it a few times before hurling it across the screen. Attack, dodge, counter, special move, smash attack. It went on for a minute or two, until the match was interrupted. At least it was for one player.

Urd suddenly stopped playing. _Am I really hearing that? What's that noise?_ She quickly reached forward and turned the television off.

The Demon cried out in protest. "What the hell are you doing, Urd? I was going to beat you that time! You forfeited the match, so I win the bet!" Her joy at defeating her old friend (finally) quickly transformed to indignation at being shushed. "What do you mean, shhh?"

"I think I hear something." The Goddess bore a look of concentration as she strained to hear the sounds again. "Can you hear anything, Marler?"

The Demon took a few moments to listen before responding. "All I hear is someone running up the hallway."

Sure enough, it was only a second later before the door slid open. It was a damp looking Keos, breathing a little hard. He shot a hard look at Marler before speaking hurriedly. "Lady Urd, something's happening out west. The sentries are reporting a lot of noise."

Urd turned to him quickly. "What is it?"

"I don't know, I've never heard anything quite like it." Keos shook his head as he answered. "It started less than a minute ago, and it's just getting louder."

"You want to go check it out, don't you?" Urd glanced over to see a small grin on Marler's lips.

The Goddess of the Past picked up the Masamune as she stood, her clothes transforming onto a battle outfit of purples and gold trim. "Of course, what else would we do?"

The Templar seemed a little uneasy at her intentions. "Er, are you sure you want to do that, Lady Urd? We can just send the noon patrol out a little early."

"And what fun would that be, Keos?" Urd allowed a small amount of excitement to show in her eyes. "Besides, it's better than constantly being accused of cheating."

Marler pointed an angry finger at the Goddess. "You'll get yours, Urd! Just wait till we get back!"

With that, the three of them flew out of the house, heading southwest of Nekomi. As they soared over the western wall, Keos called out to someone on the ground. "Dinekes, you're in charge till I get back!"

"You know, Keos," Urd told him as they flew, "Marler and I can probably handle whatever we find out here. You don't really need to come along."

"I wouldn't be dong my job if I let a Goddess go wandering around with nothing but a Demon by her side," he answered resolutely, "no matter how powerful she is."

Marler shot a dirty look at him. "What the hell's that supposed to mean?"

"Just because we have a common enemy, doesn't mean I don't think that you'll betray us as soon as it suits your purpose." Urd sighed at the exchange between the two. It certainly wasn't the first time Keos had voiced his displeasure at having Marler around, and it was obvious that it wouldn't be the last. Truth be told, she was getting a little tired of listening to their little exchanges.

"This isn't the time for this you two." Urd positioned herself between the bickering pair. "The noises are getting louder."

They were silent for a moment. Urd finally figured out what she had been hearing just as Marler spoke. "It's gunfire, and lots of it."

"It sounds like a war over there!" Keos wasn't overstating it. As they came still closer, the noise became nearly deafening. As they came over the abandoned highway, only two or three kilometers from the edge of the city, Urd saw that war was a very appropriate description.

A group of several hundred men, dressed in camouflage, were firing their rifles into the tree line near the edge of the blacktop. The constant barrage was accentuated at points by grenades exploding near the forest edge, seemingly at random. About thirty or so of the creatures lay beside the highway, their tick, oily blood covering everything near them. As much effort as the humans had put into the fight over the several minutes that the battle had been heard, there was surprisingly little to show for it.

Still, it seemed that the last of the Cruel Angles minions were being cleaned up by the mortals as they hovered overhead. Marler let out a low whistle as the last bursts of rifle fire sputtered out. "Thirty five killed with nothing but human weapons, huh?"

"Thirty four killed," Keos corrected her, his eyes scanning the scene like a hawk. "Those two lumps on the end were part of the same animal."

Marler gave an irritated snort as she crossed her arms. "Does it really freaking matter? I'm trying to give those humans down there a compliment for having the stones to fight those things with those worthless weapons of theirs. You've gotta admit, that's pretty damn impressive." Urd had to agree, these guys definitely had guts. Either that, or they were stupid as hell.

"It's not that." Keos was wearing a bit of a scowl, as if he was unsure about something. "It's just that…" The God trailed off, fixated on the dead creatures beside the highway.

The two women watched him for a moment, waiting for him to continue. When he didn't, Urd glanced over at Marler. The Demon just rolled her eyes and shrugged. Turning back to him, the Goddess had the impression that Keos had grown more tense in the last few seconds. "What is it, Keos? What's bothering you?"

He glanced over at her, then back down to the ground. "Well, those things down there are relatively new. The raids had been comprised entirely of corrupted humans until recently, but lately we've been seeing animals being used."

"So what?" Marler had her finger in her ear as she indirectly told him to get to the point.

He was acting more distracted, and Urd was starting to feel a bit nervous when she noticed him gripping the hilt of the no-dachi at his side. "The animals have only been used in small numbers, usually individually. We've classified them as scouts, since they hardly ever pose any real threat to the city. But I've never seen so many in one place."

Urd was starting to see where he was going with this, and she felt thankful that Masamune gave her a warm tingle to reassure her. "Keos, if you're right about this…"

He nodded darkly. "I think we should hurry back, Lady Urd." He took the words right out of her mouth. They turned and began to fly back to Nekomi.

"I don't really care either way," Marler spoke from behind them, "but I don't think you two are going to want to do that." Urd looked over her shoulder to see that the blonde haired woman was still floating in the same place as before.

"What the hell do you know, Demon?" Keos barked angrily at her, having stopped only a few meters past Urd.

"We don't have time to mess around, Marler," the Goddess spoke quickly.

Marler simply looked back at the highway, cracking her knuckles. "If you two want to run back so bad, then go, but I came all the way out here to have some fun. I intend to do just that."

Keos looked at Urd with a bit of confusion as the two floated back. Urd was about to ask what was going on when the Templar's sword was suddenly freed from its sheath. Urd blinked at the two, wondering what they perceived that she did not, then it hit her. Demons and Templars could adjust their spiritual sensitivity on their own, something she, as a Goddess, couldn't do. Moving her free hand over the hilt of her massive sword, she simply asked, "How many?"

The Templar shook his head. "I don't know. There's too much noise for me to sense all of them."

"A lot," Marler said stoically, not flashing the smile Urd usually saw when the Demon fought. "There's a whole friggin lot of them. There's no way in hell those guys can last even a minute against that many."

Urd began to think. _How can we save them with just the three of us? Usually there's a squad of Templars dealing with stuff like this._ She felt the Masamune tingle in her hands, communicating with her. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. _Well, I guess that's the best we've got._

She opened her green eyes as the first shots began to ring out among the alarmed voices of the humans. Dozens of humanoid creatures were rushing out of the trees, evil roars echoing over the blazing rifle fire. The ghastly, sort of pinkish creatures bore little resemblance to the humans that they once were. Most looked more like rats or insects than humans, with tentacles or huge, lobster-like claws instead of arms. It seemed as though they had grown in size as they were corrupted by the Cruel Angel, with every last one of them being between six and seven feet tall. The seething mass charged forward, trampling the creatures that were felled by forty or fifty bullet hits.

"Marler, get in there and try to keep them off the humans!" Urd had to nearly scream to be heard over the noise below. The Demon nodded and darted forward, orange flames engulfing her hands as she flew. "Keos, remember when we talked about tandem programs?" He blinked in surprise before nodding. "We're aiming about thirty meters into the trees."

The God immediately sheathed his sword before pulling away to the required distance. Urd had never seen it performed, but she knew it was possible. She simply didn't know if it they could pull it off. _I just hope we can keep our timing down._ Keos stopped around thirty meters away, nodding to her as his white, feathery wings appeared on his back. Masamune caused a strap to appear from its scabbard and Urd wasted no time slinging it across her back. _Okay, here goes nothing._

She began to summon her energies as her hands moved in arcane patterns. "Oh, Spirit of Thunder, swift in the sky! You who make the Earth and air tremble with your voice! I, your servant, call upon your awesome power!"

Urd could see the Templar as he mirrored her every move, though she couldn't hear him chant. Still, it seemed to be working so far. The dark clouds swirled overhead, angrily churning and turning black as they continued to sprinkle an icy rain on the lands. Flashes lit the ground below as blue arcs of energy built up in the black masses above. "Power that smashes, I call upon you now! Become thunderbolts in my hands!" Raising her arms above her, a glowing blue magic circle appeared above her, a good ten meters across, with an identical one over Keos. That's when it happened.

A huge arc of blue lanced its way across the sky, forming an even larger circle around the two programs. As it seemed to solidify, a spider web of designs appeared within the colossal mandala. This was her first time seeing this phenomenon. Urd was taken aback for a split second as she stared at this new program that seemed to be writing itself before her very eyes.

The rapid flashes of lighting snapped her back as she renewed her effort. _If we loose it now, there's no telling what will happen._ The bolts of electricity were striking for kilometers in every direction. As they drew together, they all arced back toward the massive program, channeling their power in an amazing display.

As the sky itself lent its power to the two Celestials, the pair swung their arms downward in unison, pointing at the forest where still more of the creatures were appearing from. As one they yelled as powerfully as they could, "_Destructive Thunder!"_

The flash was blinding, even for Urd, and it was only an instant later that she felt the titanic clap reverberate through her body. She felt the sound more than she heard it, as she noticed her ears were no longer registering much of anything. Feeling slightly disoriented, she looked at the forest they had targeted, or what was left of it.

It looked like a meteor had hit. A large, blackened trench could be seen where the lightning had cut across the Earth. No trees stood for a number of meters around the line, which she could now tell had large chunks of newly formed glass within it. The few trees that were visible were charred and had lost whatever foliage they still had. It wasn't as accurate as she had hoped, but it seemed as if it had worked well enough. Bits of the creatures were scattered around the site. From the damage to the forest, she was amazed that anything was left.

Urd scanned the battlefield, trying to regain the big picture. The creatures that had been outside the kill radius of the program had already closed the gap with the humans. Marler was darting through the melee, hitting the creatures hard, but there were too many. Men were falling every second, and they couldn't use another program for fear of hitting the mortals. She saw Keos fly forward as he drew his sword, yelling a mighty battle cry that she could barely hear as her ears began to recalibrate.

She reached over her shoulder to grip the handle of the Masamune with her right hand. The black sheath vanished and the great weapon was free to fulfill its purpose. _Please lend me your strength._ It tingled in her hands as she bolted toward the ugly battle before her.

Coming down almost too fast for the human eye to see, she swung the blade in a huge downward arc, cleaving one of the monsters in half and cracking the highway where she landed. Turning the cutting edge to the right, she twisted in the same direction, decapitating another of the bloated creatures.

The Goddess had no idea what was happening. She was no stranger to fighting, but she had never in her life even swung a sword. How was it that she felt so at ease with the weapon? Was it Masamune guiding her in the ways of the blade? She had no answer, and no time to think of one.

Her feet only centimeters off the pavement, she rushed forward and impaled another pinkish form, receiving an angry howl for her efforts. The sword was halfway through it, and she became a bit alarmed when it began to violently pull itself further down the blade in an effort to get its purplish tentacles on her. She was shaken from her warrior's mentality as her mind began to process the thing that was trying to kill her.

The retched odor of decomposing flesh, the powerful, unnatural movements as it thrashed toward her, the putrid, infected looking tentacle arms writhing their way closer. Its face was still oddly human, though contorted by hate and evil. It was frightening, and it somehow made her think of the Voices. If she had been able to see them, she thought…no, she _knew_ that this would have been their form.

Masamune tingled urgently in her hands as it was jostled about by the creature. She blinked at the weapon before turning her frightened eyes back to her monstrous opponent. This was definitely one of the Voices. It had come for her.

Again the weapon tried to gain her attention, but she could not tear her sight from the black eyes of the thing. It was almost to her, but she couldn't move. She felt a tingle again, this time all the way through her arms, up her neck, and settling in her eyes. For an uncomfortable moment everything blurred beyond recognition, then returned in a hazy image.

Belldandy was unconscious, a pained look on her face. Skuld was crying, hysterically grasping toward Urd. "No! Don't let them take me!" In an instant, a rotting tentacle wrapped around her littlest sister's slender neck, yanking her into the air. Belldandy, too, was in the clutches of a monstrous figure, trapped in a huge pincer-like claw.

"No!" Urd called out, struggling forward only to find herself bound by an invisible force. "Don't you hurt them!"

"I'M NOT GOING TO HURT THEM," came a chorus of a thousand voices that spoke as one, "I'M GOING TO EAT THEM."

She felt the creature's hot breath on her face. The white haired Goddess blinked at the thing's barely human features before her eyes narrowed. "I don't give a god damn what you are," she uttered, "I'm not going to let you harm another person on this Earth!" She spat in its face as she twisted the blade upward.

It let out a howl as it hesitated from the pain, its tendrils almost touching the Goddess's throat. Her muscles tensed as she let out a powerful shout. With all her might she sliced upward, cutting the thing in twain from the abdomen up. The halves fell disgustingly to either side as the legs continued to stand for several seconds, thick blood spurting forth. Then it staggered and fell, twitching in a pool of its own oily vitae.

Trying to wipe some of the viscous fluid from her face, she instead wound up smearing across her cheek and nose. Her fear was gone, dispersed like smoke in a gale. With a deadly look in her cold, emerald eyes, she turned to the next creature. Her angel, World of Elegance, appeared over her shoulder, looking equally enraged. _I can't, I won't let them hurt my loved ones._ She swung Masamune before her. _No, I won't let them hurt anyone. I won't let anyone else in my sight die._

"I'll kill them all."

* * *

In Heaven, there are very few places that Celestials are forbidden to enter. In one such place, a solitary figure sat. The room had an open view of the blue sky, and the walls consisted of a series of white, polished stone pillars and arches that were covered in vines and flowers. The ground was red and white stone, carved with special runes and wards that only the most learned God or Goddess would understand. In the center was a chair that seemed to have formed itself from the living rock below it.

It was in this chair that the figure sat, concentrating. He had been there since the beginning of the crisis on Earth, since the Cruel Angel was released. His energies were focused on one thing, and one thing only.

Periodically, the Chancellor of the Council of Heaven would come and report on the progress of things outside. The Chancellor had been the only visitor in the past month, as this person had desired. Unnecessary interruptions would hinder the efforts He was putting forth.

"Almighty?"

The Lord slowly opened His eyes at the familiar voice. Looking up at the man who dared to enter His sanctuary unannounced, He smiled. "Odin, my old friend, I haven't seen you in decades. How have you been?"

The grizzled old Templar moved before the Almighty and knelt stiffly. "Still gettin' older, Lord. I canna get around like I used to."

"I can see that, however my powers are being directed to another purpose right now. I cannot remove the stiffness from your bones, but perhaps this will help." Slightly raising His right index finger, a chair like His own rose from the stone behind Odin. "Have a seat."

The ancient God seemed to feel as old as he looked, settling gingerly into place. "Thank ye, Lord. I'm sorry I've not come ta visit ye in such a long time, I jus' never got around ta comin over ere. But ye know that yer always welcome in my pub, Almighty. If ye e'er ave the chance, ye should come visit. Tha place looks jus' tha same as when I opened it almost two thousand years ago."

The Almighty chuckled a bit. "Perhaps when this is all over I will take you up on your offer, my old friend. Now, to business. I trust you have not come all the way here for a simple social visit."

Odin gave a small grin of his own as he nodded. "Aye, I haven't. I was fortunate enough ta bump inta young Belldandy las' night. She wanted ta know if I could do 'er a favor."

"I have not been able to watch everyone as closely as I should." The Almighty smiled again as he spoke. "How is Belldandy?"

"The same as I remembered 'er," he laughed, stroking his tangled beard. "Fulla life an love fer everybody. The lass did ne even recognize me for a few minutes. She's definitely back ta 'er old self again."

"That is good to hear." He nodded briefly before returning to Odin's reason for coming. "So what is this favor that she asked of you?"

He huffed out another laugh before answering. "Well, she wants young Skuld ta come ta Earth with 'er next week. Bell said tha the lil lassie was still 'avin a few problems controllin 'er powers. So she asked if I could grease tha wheels a bit and get someone assigned as a bodyguard for 'er while she's down there."

"Did she have anyone specific in mind?"

"Aye, that young lad Gilgamesh," he replied. "He jus' recently made Firs' Order, but he seemed a good kid. If ya ask me, Lord, I think he'd do jus' fine."

The Lord didn't hesitate in His response. "I trust your judgment on this matter, Odin. If you believe he is capable, then I give my blessing. Chancellor Marduk will be here later for the daily report. I will inform him of my decision on this matter."

"Thank ye, Lord." Odin bowed slightly in his seat, hesitating for a moment before voicing a question. "If ye don't mind me askin, Lord, jus' what ave ye been usin' yer powers for? I heard ye've all but left the war to tha Templars an the Goddesses at Yggdrasil."

"You have heard correctly, unfortunately." The Almighty sighed before looking up at the old Templar again. "You know that the Cruel Angel gets his power from the souls he consumes."

Odin nodded solemnly. "I figured as much. Tha same as last time."

"Yes, but this time he has changed his tactics. I felt his powers swell drastically just before the fall of Hell. Within seconds of his release, he entered Hell and took over their afterlife." Odin scowled at this. "Moments after that, chaos broke out there. It wasn't long before all of Hell was under the Cruel Angel's control."

"What about Hild?" Odin's concern was plain on his weathered face.

"I do not know," the Almighty answered, shaking His head. "However, I do not believe that the power I am facing right now is comprised entirely of human souls. I fear the worst for her and her Demons."

Odin's scowl deepened. "She may 'ave been tha head o tha Demons, but I could ne'er ave wished such a fate on 'er." He suddenly looked up as a thought seemed to strike him. "Wait, you're facing his powers right now? He's tryin' ta break inta Heaven?"

"More precisely, he wishes to gain entry to our afterlife."

Odin's jaw went slack. "If he got in there, all tha souls, he'd be unstoppable! Even ye would ne be able ta defeat im then!"

"Now you see, my old friend, this is why I have been out of sight all this time." The Lord explained calmly what Odin was just coming to realize. "I have been devoting all my powers to keep the Cruel Angel out of Heaven. In fact, I have been fairly successful in keeping him trapped in Hell for some time now, but he is growing stronger. Some of his minions are capable of tearing the soul from a human and supplying it to him, and with every soul he consumes, the more his power leaks out to Earth. I will not be able to contain him in Hell much longer, I'm afraid. If things do not change to our favor soon, I fear it will only be a matter of time."

The warrior nodded and spoke gravely. "I understand, My Lord. If ye e'er need anythin' jus' call. I may be old, but I'm still a Templar." He lifted himself from the chair, then knelt. "By yer leave, Lord."

"You may go, my old friend," the Almighty spoke, raising His hand, "and feel free to come visit me whenever you like."

* * *

Urd spun around, swinging Masamune through yet another servant of the Cruel Angel. The creature fell as she tried to catch her breath. The stench in the air prevented her from breathing deeply, though, which was part of the reason for her being out of breath to begin with.

Her combat outfit was soaked with freezing rain and coated with the blood of her enemies. Her white hair was matted together, sticking to her neck and face. The Masamune was no longer shining, instead it was covered with the same oily substance that was making the cold air thick with the stench of decay.

She was squinting, trying to get the water out of her eyes, as she peered about for her next target. The enemy's numbers were thinning, and somewhere in the back of her mind she knew that the battle was almost over.

The Goddess' eyes widened as she saw him. A single human, separated from his comrades, unsteadily moving back from one of the monsters as it advanced on him. She darted forward, ignoring the icy drops of water as they struck her face. _Will I make it?_

One of the creatures lumbered into her path, apparently unaware of the deadly force that was streaking right for it. The thing turned toward her just in time to have its arm severed at the shoulder as she flashed by. She ignored its howls as they faded behind her.

The human suddenly planted his feet firmly on the blacktop as the creature lunged at him with a snarl. _I'm not going to make it._ As it opened its abnormally large maw to bite the man, he gave an odd sort of grin. Raising his rifle up, he shot from the hip as something 'blooped' out of the underbarrel.

Urd came to an abrupt stop as she covered her face with her arms. Oddly enough, the heat from the explosion felt kind of nice in the cold rain, but the pressure from the blast and the noise was something she could have done without.

Looking over her arms, she saw him roll and slide to a stop several meters away from the shattered husk of the creature. "Hey!" She called out to him as she floated over to him. "Hey, are you alright?"

As she rolled him onto his back, she could see that he was pretty far from alright. She tried not to wince at the deep wounds and burns that he displayed, but she knew she had failed when he looked up at her. "That bad, huh?" She could hear him struggle to suck in every breath. "I guess I shouldn't have been so close to the damn thing." He was bleeding everywhere. _This man is dying._

She tore off one of the decorative pieces of cloth that hung from her battle costume, pressing it into his gut. "I suppose you're probably right," she replied softly, trying to channel her power into his wound. It was just some stupid first aid program, but it was the best she could do. She knew it was impossible for her to save him, but she wanted to make his passing easier, even if it was just by a bit. "What was that you used, anyway?"

That odd grin returned to his darkly tanned face, despite his obvious pain. "It was a forty millimeter, high explosive grenade. Shot it straight down the bastard's throat." He coughed painfully, bringing blood to his lips. "I saw what you did, you and your friends. You must be one of those angels everyone keeps talking about. Thanks for helping my men." She watched as the rain thinned the blood on his face even as it mixed with the thick goo of the monsters blood. With her free hand, she gently tried to wipe the foul liquid away.

"It's my job," she told him, feeling quite helpless, "but it's also something I wanted to do. Now try not to talk."

She heard heavy footfalls as Keos stood beside her. "Lady Urd, it seems like the enemy force has been destroyed."

"Keos," she looked up at him, hoping, "can you do anything for him? I've never been any good at healing without my potions."

The Templar tensed a bit as she looked at him, though she wasn't sure why. He peered down at the human for a moment and shook his head. "I'm sorry, Lady Urd, I can't heal something this extensive."

"What the hell happened to him?" Marler's tired voice broke in after several seconds of silence.

Keos didn't even look at her as he replied icily. "As if you care, Demon." She flipped him the bird behind his back.

Spinning around, the Goddess quickly asked, "Marler, do you know any healing programs? Can you help this guy?"

"What? I just wore myself out trying to help your precious little humans here, and now you want me to help this one, too?" The Demon rolled her head around on her shoulders. "I'm tired, I just want to go back and wash this nasty crap off me."

Urd's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Marler."

"Tch," she sniffed, whining loudly. "Do I have to? I mean, he might prefer death to my kind of healing."

"Marler!"

The blonde pouted a little before moving over to the dying man. Keos kept an icy stare on her, but kept quiet about his obvious misgivings as she knelt across from Urd. "This is going to hurt…a lot."

"I'm already in pain," he wheezed and gritted his teeth. "Whatever you are going to do can't be much worse than what I'm feeling now."

Marler looked at him skeptically. "I don't think you understand what I mean by hurt. I mean it's really, _really…_"

"Damn it, if you're going to do it," Keos snapped, "do it while he's still alive!"

"Screw you, ass!" Marler angrily and animatedly pointed at the offending Templar. "If you think you're so damn good, why don't you do it yourself?"

"Stop this right now!" Urd's voice boomed over half the battlefield. She pointed at Keos, "You! Shut up!" He looked as if he had just been scolded by his mother, but she wasn't finished yet. She turned her ire toward Marler. "You! Heal! Now!"

The Demon sulked, acting as if she wanted to mimic the Goddess' outburst. "Fine, fine. Ready, human?" He nodded his response as she placed her hands on his blood covered chest. "On the count of three. Three!"

Every muscle in the man's body clenched. What started as a barely stifled groan quickly turned into agonized gasps for air. Marler had closed her eyes, concentrating hard on the task before her. Urd could feel the hair standing up on the back of her neck as she tried to calm him. She grabbed his hand, which squeezed hers tightly.

Keos had pulled out a sheathed knife. Quickly dropping the blade beside him, he knelt over the man's head, leather sheath in hand. "Bite on this," he instructed the human, "so you won't bite your tongue."

His spasm and thrashing continued for about a minute, but it seemed to Urd more like ten. She could only imagine what it must have been like for him.

As quickly and unexpectedly as it began, Marler ended her program. She was panting as she removed her hands from the groaning human. "I'm impressed you're still conscious. I knew you guys had stones." The man let out a short burst of laughter before groaning painfully again. "Oh, you'll be really sore for the next few days."

His breathing was as heavy as the Demon's. "Thanks…I think."

* * *

A/N:

Okay, I'm hoping that there was nothing too out of the blue there. Urd was a little emotional in this chapter, but hopefully it all made sense to you.

I changed more in this chapter than I have in any other so far, I think. An unexpected outcome of this rewrite, something that I enjoyed, was the irritated banter between Marler and Keos. Of course, you might expect this from a Demon and Templar, two groups whom think very little of each other. Still, I hadn't even really thought about it until now, and I think I'm going to have more fun with this whenever I can realistically fit it into the story.

As far as the afterlife goes, it's a separate place in Heaven (that is why you don't see souls wandering around Yggdrasil). They have their own place to 'live' after they die. It's the same with Hell's afterlife, it just isn't as pleasant.

() – The Valkyries didn't exist in the manga when I originally wrote this story, so they do not exist here. (I still can't get over the fact you're reviewing my story again after all these years.)

Just to reiterate, the Celestials _do_ live longer than humans. I'm thinking about twice as long for the current generation of Gods and Goddesses. Just go with me on this, I think it will work better this way (assuming it even comes up, it might not.).

Thanks for reading, and double thanks for reviewing!

Katamari Damacy


	14. Arc II Chap 04 Allies

_Arc II: Chapter 04_

_Allies_

Captain Rojas groaned as Gunny Taff helped him to sit down inside the temple. His bones ached something terrible. He imagined this must have been how old people with severe arthritis must have felt. Plus he was covered in the oily blood of those things, as were they all.

The last two miles into Nekomi, Taff had strapped the Captain's pack onto his own, carrying both to make things easier on Rojas. Even then, the commanding officer of the company had difficulty walking.

Not that it had mattered much. All of the Marines were moving slower now. Almost a third of them had been killed in the surprise attack, nearly seventy men. Those who survived were either injured or forced to carry their fallen comrades or supplies. A squad of Templars had arrived shortly after the battle ended, and helped a great deal, but it still took close to an hour and a half to make the last two miles.

"Would you like something to drink?" Rojas looked up to see a Japanese boy, short with dark hair. He set the tray he was carrying on the short table before them before taking a seat himself.

"Sure, maybe it'll take the chill out of me." The Captain's uniform was soaked, despite the fact that he had been wearing a poncho all day. The cold that had soaked deeply into him certainly didn't make his aches feel any better.

The boy nodded as he began to pour a cup of hot tea. "How about you, sir?" He was looking at Gunny Taff now. The enlisted man raised his hand as he, too, took a place at the table.

"Nah, I've got something else to warm me up." The Arkansas native reached within the small pack he brought inside, pulling out a small metal canteen. Rojas could guess what it was filled with, and apparently the Japanese boy figured it out, too. He nodded with a knowing smile.

A ceramic cup filled with steaming tea was pushed across the table toward the Captain. He noticed that the young civilian's hands seemed rather calloused. _He must do quite a bit of work around here._ "Here you are. By the way, my name is Keiichi Morisato. It's a pleasure to meet you both."

The Mexican-American bowed slightly as he took his tea. "I'm Captain Javier Ramos, United States Marine Corps. Thank you for your hospitality."

The other Marine winced a bit as he swallowed a bit of the liquid warmth from his non-standard canteen. "Gunnery Sergeant James Taff. Thanks for lettin' us rest here."

"Not at all."

The door slid back as the three men looked up. Marler walked in first, a somewhat uncaring look on her face. "Feeling a little better now, human?"

"Ah, a little, I guess. Thanks." Marler gave him a satisfied smile, as if that was the answer she was looking for.

The Goddess Urd followed, that ridiculously huge sword in hand. She gave the two Marines a small smile and she shrugged, as if to counter the blond haired Demon's attitude. She, like Marler, was still splattered with the thick blood of their enemies, which was now starting to look and feel like half dried syrup, though it still smelled something awful.

The Infernal sat heavily at the table to the Captain's right, letting out a long breath before popping her neck a few times. Urd told Keiichi to scoot over a bit, dropping down next to him and across from Ramos. She, too, stretched a bit, straining as she reached over her head. After a moment of this, she set her elbows on the table and looked at the two Marines.

"I suppose that I should start by thanking you and your men." Her simple statement confused the two men, who looked at each other before he gave his response.

"What do you mean? You guys were the ones who helped us. If you hadn't been there, we would have lost a lot more men, if not everyone."

Marler smirked. "That's true."

"True it may be," came a male voice as the door slid open again, "but you and your Marines averted what would have been a serious attack on this city." Ramos gave what must have been a dumbfounded look to Keos as he moved across to the table. "You see, that enemy force that you fought against was a raiding party, and a big one. Probably the biggest we've seen."

The Goddess picked up the explanation. "They usually come from the north, but this time they were west. If they had hit us in such an unexpected direction, where our defenses are weak, they probably would have killed a lot of people. They might have even taken a couple of Templars with them, something we can't afford."

"You humans ran into them first, though," Marler continued. "I think both groups probably surprised the other, which is how you survived until we got there. Since we engaged them outside the city, we managed to keep casualties low, and we took out a whole friggin lot of them. It's gonna be a while before they can organize something like that again." She seemed proud of their decisive victory.

"Don't misunderstand us, Captain." Keos spoke up again. "We aren't saying that it's better your men die than ours. You just participated in one of the most impressive victories that our side won in this entire war. We Templars study the military forces of Earth during our early training. If I recall, American Marines value honor, courage, and commitment as the greatest of virtues. Your men earned a great deal of honor and glory for themselves today. You should be proud of that."

Javier Ramos was speechless. It sounded like something a General would say to his troops. The Templar's words reminded him of the pride he felt when he first became an officer in the Marines, a feeling that he belonged to the greatest organization in the history of mankind. With everything that had happened, though, that pride felt oddly distant, as something that happened a lifetime ago would.

After several seconds of silence, his senior enlisted man spoke up. "In a way, your words are probably more true than you realize." Everyone looked over at the thirty two year old man, who looked aged well beyond his years. "Most of the Marines were only supposed to be in Japan for a year or so, three years tops. For most of them, their families are still in the States. Their loved ones are too far away to draw comfort from, assuming anyone back home survived. For a lot of us, all we have left to hold onto is honor, courage, and commitment."

Ramos knew that Taff had lost his wife and daughter on the day the Hell Storm hit. He was one of those Marines whose identity as a father and husband was gone. James Taff was a Marine, and that was all. The Captain realized that the words of this God had likely affected the Gunny even more than himself.

"There's something I'd like to ask," Ramos said. "That thing you did where you blew away half the forest." Urd and Keos suddenly looked a bit uncomfortable. "If you guys can do something like that, then why would it have been such a problem for those things to attack here?"

Urd gave a nervous sort of laugh as the God scratched his head a bit. "Well, truth be told," Keos explained, "we weren't sure that would work."

The quizzical expression he received prompted the Goddess to explain further. "It's called a tandem program. If you can pull it off, it geometrically increases a spell's power. It's rarely used, though, because the participants have to be in perfect sych as they cast whatever it is they're trying to boost. Actually, it's so difficult, none of us had ever seen it done."

Keos nodded. "It's a miracle we pulled it off as well as we did."

"So, what would have happened if you'd messed it up?" Taff was looking at the two Celestials with a raised eyebrow. "Would it have just fizzled out?"

"Well…no," the Templar answered slowly. "The program goes off no matter what. "It's a matter of how well it's controlled."

Ramos was curious about why they were acting so odd. "What's that mean, exactly?"

Marler, apparently tired of everyone beating around the bush, got straight to the point. "What they mean is that if they had screwed up just a little more than they did, they would have toasted all of us. Myself included." She shot an unhappy look at the Goddess.

"Now, now, I already apologized for that."

"We're sorry for taking such a big risk with your lives like that," Keos added, though he didn't sound very apologetic. "Unfortunately it was the only way we could win." He wiped a bit of sticky blood from his eye as he finished.

Urd looked up at the Templar, studying him with a careful eye. "You look like you're about to fall over, Keos." This was true, Ramos thought. The God was looking a bit ragged. "Sit down and rest. We've still got a lot to talk about."

"That's not necessary, Lady Urd," he replied. "It would be rude to make either of our guests sit double with me." He motioned vaguely toward the two Marines, who each had a side of the square table.

"That's okay," she said with a smile, "you can sit double with Marler. She won't mind."

"The hell I won't mind!"

Keos looked at the blond woman angrily. "As if I would want to sit next to a Demon like you!"

A hand slammed onto the table, bringing the bickering to a sharp conclusion. Everyone was looking at Urd, who had a dangerous gleam in her eyes and a deadly serious tone to her voice. "I'm getting sick and tired of you two acting like children! If I hear one more argument from you two, I'm going to lock both of you in the closet until you can learn to play nice!" There was something frightening about her led the Marine officer to believe that she would resort to _anything_ to ensure that her threat was carried out.

The two in question both seemed quite thunderstruck by the declaration. They looked at each other, the contempt obvious in their eyes. After a few seconds Marler looked away, grumbling under her breath as she shifted to one side. Keos, stony faced, stepped forward and silently sat beside her. Both had their arms crossed as they pretended to be interested in something in the opposite direction. The pair even seemed to be leaning away from each other. _Is this how Gods and Demons are supposed to act around each other, or is it just these two?_

Taff scratched at the stubble on his chin as he watched the strange situation, and Keiichi was smiling uncomfortably. Urd simply sighed, shook her head, and tried to act like nothing had happened. "So what were you guys doing wandering around the country like that? I mean, you must have come a long way."

Rojas thought for a moment, wondering if he should reveal their orders to someone they had only met hours before. _Eh, what the hell? If I can't trust a Goddess, who can I trust?_

"We came from Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, near the southern end of the main island. The Hell Storm damaged our base heavily, fuel depot trashed and all communications were cut off. It wasn't long before those monsters started to show up, and a lot of people from the surrounding towns came to the base for protection.

"The problem is, we're basically just an airport. We've got weapons, and we all know how to use them, but with no supplies coming in, we don't have enough food, potable water, and ammo to last more than another month or two. Our base is going to be overrun if we don't starve to death first." Rojas paused for a moment as the others listened intently. "It was decided that we needed to make contact with other bases here in Japan. The idea's to try and combine forces with other GIs, or even the JSDF, so that we could last a little longer. Maybe we can scrounge up enough fuel to fly one of our C-130s to the US and get some help sent over.

"We sent some Marines to Okinawa by boat, but we're afraid that the tidal waves caused by the Hell Storm might have flooded the whole damn island. My company was sent out on foot to make contact with Yokusuka, a Navy port on Tokyo Bay. We aren't expecting much, but at least we might be able to find some supplies." He sighed as he shook his head. "Only problem is we got our asses handed to us in our first real skirmish against those monsters. All the weapons that are really effective against them have to be mounted before they can be used properly. We have a few with us, but if we get surprised again, we won't be able to set the damn things up in time. The way things are looking, I don't see how we could possibly make it to Yokusuka and back."

Everyone was silent for a few minutes. Urd and Keos both scowled in concentration while Marler was yawning and scratching the back of her head. Keiichi also appeared to be thinking as he drank his tea, while Taff took another swig from his flask.

The Goddess finally sighed, leaning back on her arms, one of her hands falling on her huge sword. _I think they said it was called Masamune._ He was still having trouble wrapping his brain around the idea of a sentient sword, but stranger things had happened today.

Less than a second after her hand touched the sleek, black sheath, she sat bolt upright. "Now why didn't I think of that?"

Everyone looked at her quizzically, though Marler was the first to voice the question they all had on their minds. "What are you talking about, Urd?"

The white haired Celestial leaned forward, elbows on the table and her fingers intertwined in front of her pleased smile. "I think I have a solution to your problem that will also benefit Nekomi and the Templars defending it."

"I'm listening, Miss Urd."

"The Templars guarding this city have been stretched quite thin over the last month," she explained. "We've had quite a few refugees of our own, and the perimeter we're defending is almost too big. We don't have enough Gods to cover this growing town, and weaknesses are starting to form in our lines. That's why the creatures we fought today posed such a threat to us, which brings me to my point." Her hands came down as she leaned forward a bit more. "You said that you have weapons that are effective against them, but only if you have time to set them up, right?"

The two Marines nodded simultaneously.

She sat up straight again, flipping her hair dramatically. "Alright then, here's the deal. You keep your men here in Nekomi to help strengthen our defenses, and I'll have someone sent to the Navy base to find out what you need to know. That way, the civilians in this city are protected and your men are less vulnerable to an attack. Plus, we can get there and back far quicker than you and your men can."

Rojas crossed his arms, ignoring the stiffness in his joints, as she looked at him with confidence. Glancing over, Keos seemed to be thinking it over, too. He was nodding as he spoke. "Lady Urd has a sound plan. Your Marines could definitely help plug the holes in the perimeter."

Glancing at his senior enlisted man, Taff gave an approving nod to his commanding officer. The Mexican-American looked back at the Goddess sitting across from him. "It sounds like a good deal. We'll stay here, but we need a day to bury our dead. We can work out the assignments for our teams tomorrow. Just remember, we only have so much ammunition. We can't take them on indefinitely."

Urd smiled. "Don't worry, Captain. We just need you to supplement our own forces."

"So, Urd," Marler finally spoke up, "who do you plan on sending all the way to Tokyo Bay? It's not like we have the people to spare."

"Actually, the person I have in mind is in Heaven right now." The smile on the Goddess' face faded a bit as she replied. "I just hope they don't mind waiting a little longer to come back here again."

* * *

"Sorry for just dropping by like this, Belldandy." Ceres wore an apologetic smile as she entered the room.

The other Goddess shook her head as she motioned her to sit down. "Not at all! I'm happy to see you Ceres, especially since you've finally been given some time off. Would you like some tea?"

"That would be wonderful, thank you." The two Goddesses settled down at an elegant glass table near the open window. Ceres could see the lush landscaping of Belldandy's back yard, all the way back to the stone water well at the base of one of the largest trees in Heaven. The soothing smell of the flower garden wafted in, gently filling her nose.

"Skuld went out a few hours ago with Gilgamesh," Bell said as she strained the tea leaves. "They're buying parts. She's started working on a new invention." A small wisp of steam rose as she filled the beautifully etched cups. "They should return before too long, if you don't mind waiting."

Ceres took a small sip, hesitating to speak. "Belldandy," she began uncertainly, "truth be told, I didn't visit just to see how you and Skuld are doing. In fact, I need to get back to Yggdrasil soon."

The blue eyed Goddess looked back with a mix of curiosity and concern. "Is there something wrong, Ceres?"

"_Belldandy!_"

The two Goddesses turned toward the door to see Skuld rushing in, a childlike smile on her face. Gilgamesh, who was almost hidden from view by all the boxes and bags he was carrying, came in at a considerably more measured pace.

"Look at all the neat stuff I bought!" The raven haired girl hugged her sister enthusiastically, and then pointed at the mass of merchandise her companion was struggling with. "We've been on Earth so long, and our back pay has been building up all this time! I had more than I knew what to do with when I checked my account."

"You spent every last cent of it, too." The Templar dropped everything into a pile near the doorway. "You cleaned those places out!"

Turning an annoyed eye on the God, Skuld looked ready to stick out her tongue at him. "Stop whining! You were the one who insisted on carrying my things. I didn't force you to do anything."

Gilgamesh stretched his arms as he came over to the table, plopping heavily into an empty chair. "I offered to carry that new ratchet set. You just kept handing me stuff after that."

"You're just being a wuss." Skuld took the last seat, directly across from the Templar. "If you're just going to complain like that, then don't offer to help me next time!"

"I'll remember that."

Ceres could see the Belldandy's smile as she watched the young pair quarrel. This sort of exchange had been standard fare the last few times that the sandy haired Goddess had seen the two of them together. It was rather amusing, she had to admit. They were kind of cute when they got like this.

"So, Lady Ceres…" The God decided to change the subject. "It's been a while since we saw you. How long are you able to visit today? The three of us are going out to eat later, maybe you could come along?"

Skuld nodded emphatically. "Yeah, you should come with us! We hardly ever get to see you. It would give us all a good chance to catch up!"

The Yggdrasil watch commander blushed a little at the invitation, but shook her head. "I'm sorry, I'll be going back to work soon. I actually just came by to tell Belldandy something."

Bell tilted her head a bit. "Tell me something? What did you need to tell me?"

"We just received word that they're going to need you for a mission when you get back to Earth," she replied. "I know that you were looking forward to seeing Mr. Morisato, but we need you to do this first."

Ceres was an emotional person, though she tried to push it aside when it came to work. She was very aware of how much Belldandy missed the young human, of how much she wanted to see him. Ceres knew that this would be disappointing news to the Goddess.

"Oh, I see." Belldandy stared down at the tea in her hands. "I'll do whatever is needed of me, of course."

"I'm sorry, Belldandy," Ceres said, sympathizing. "Yggdrasil is so bogged down right now, and Goddess Relief is working triple overtime. The Templars are stretched thin, too, and they say there's no one who can be spared. If there was anyone else who could go, I would send them in a heartbeat. Unfortunately, you are the only one available. The mission will only take a day or two, and then you'll be back in Nekomi."

Skuld gave her sister's shoulder a comforting squeeze, drawing a faint smile. Gilgamesh leaned forward on the table. "So what is the mission, Lady Ceres?"

"There's a group of human military personnel in Nekomi. Apparently they were searching for other surviving bases, but ran into a big fight with the Cruel Angel's servants. Now Urd has some sort of agreement with them. They will stay in the city and aid in its defense." She turned her eyes to Belldandy as she finished. "In exchange, we send someone to get information on the Navy base that they were trying to contact."

The dark haired Goddess looked up at Ceres. "That's it? All she has to do is find out about this base and go back to Nekomi?" She received a nod in reply. Skuld suddenly leapt excitedly into the air and ended up hovering at the height of her jump. "Why don't you let me go instead?"

The other three Celestials were taken unawares by her sudden request. Her new protector was the first to react. "Wait just a second!" Standing up and pointing a finger only a centimeter from her nose. He apparently needed to ensure that everyone would understand who he was speaking to. "There's no telling what kind of creatures are wandering around out there. You'd just be a walking target for them!"

She batted his arm away, floating halfway over the table to get in his face. "That's why you're coming along! You're supposed to fight those nasty things, aren't you?"

He was looking a little pink, trying to maintain his composure with the Goddess so close to him. Gil quickly shook it off, though, and slowly pushed her back to her side of the table. "Are you out of your mind, Skuld? You're just asking for trouble!"

Finally settling back into her seat, she crossed her arms and turned away from the Templar. "Fine then. If you're too scared, then you can just let my sister go face all those bad guys by herself then."

Ceres saw his shoulders slump a little at this. His eyes went to Belldandy, who smiled sweetly for the conflicted God. "It's alright, Gilgamesh. If you think it's too dangerous for her, then you don't have to do it. I can take care of myself, so don't worry about it."

The Templar fell back into his chair, rubbing his eyes and quietly groaning. "Well, I'm sure you can take care of whatever comes up." He sighed as he looked up at them. "Still, what kind of man would I be if I let a lady go on such a mission alone? At least this way the messenger will have some protection. Besides, Belldandy still has a couple of days before she can get the spiritual sensitivity mod. Skuld and I could leave tomorrow morning."

Skuld spun around, flashing a winning smile. "Please, Ceres? We can definitely do it!"

The sandy haired Goddess had to stop and process everything she had heard in the last few seconds. It was true that Belldandy wasn't quite ready to head down yet. Since the two younger Celestials didn't have to wait, it could cut the mission completion time in half or better.

"Alright, you two." Ceres relented with a slight shake of her head. "Be at Yggdrasil tomorrow morning at eight. We'll brief you and gate you to the region."

Wrapping her arms around her sister, Skuld gleefully chirped, "Now you can go back home like you wanted, Sis!"

Belldandy could only smile and hug back. "Thank you, Skuld. This means so much to me." Releasing her younger sister, she leaned over and pulled the young Templar into an embrace as well. "Thank you, too, Gilgamesh. I know you'll take good care of Skuld while you're gone."

Blushing, he tentatively returned the hug. "Sure, no problem. Consider this your Christmas present."

* * *

Otaki stared at the place that had once been an empty construction site. In the days after the Hell Storm, it had become a crowded graveyard. The headstones were not of the highest quality, since so many had been produced in such a short time, but the names were clearly and lovingly etched into the small monuments.

There was no sign of the blond man's trademark grin. It left him every time he came here. He simply looked, the only sign that he was even breathing was the puffs of fog from his nose and mouth. A bottle of sake was gripped in his hand, something he planned on sharing with his best friend later.

He looked down again at the row of headstones he had helped to erect, the names of the people he had helped to bury. One of his old teachers from the Institute, a good man who used to race motorcycles when he was young. Reliable Akira from the parts shop, who seemed able to get anything you asked. Poor little Sora, who had been not five meters away from Otaki when the meteor hit.

"Yo!" The gruff call of Tamiya came from over his shoulder. "Take a look over there."

He followed his friend's gaze across the graveyard. The sun cut through the dark clouds as it settled on the horizon, casting long shadows across the ground and silhouetting a group of men. The camouflaged forms were in the far corner, and Otaki hadn't noticed them when he and Tamiya entered. The five of them had rifles slung over their shoulders as they stared at a group of fresh mounds at their feet.

"Let's go check it out," he spoke, walking across the damp soil.

The group of Americans looked up as the large pair approached. Otaki could see the fatigue in their eyes, physically as well as mentally. He may not have been the sharpest knife in the drawer, but it was painfully obvious that these men were burying fallen comrades.

"Friends of yours?" Otaki kept his speech as simple as possible, hoping the foreigners would understand him.

The wiry one wearing glasses nodded, speaking in uneasy Japanese. "Warrior brothers. Died fighting near town." The man's vocabulary seemed quite limited, but at least they could communicate.

"You guys Marines? Americans?" Tamiya was speaking rather slowly. "We heard you had come to Nekomi."

"Yes. Marines." The man thought for a moment, hesitating as he searched for his words. "Just finished…placing in ground." He could see the semi-dried dirt on their hands and knees.

There was a silence for a few minutes as they all looked at the three new graves. There was no marker for any of them, only some irregular shaped pieces of concrete, the dead men's dog tags sitting atop them.

Otaki had always considered himself a warrior of sorts. However, it was a day and age in Japan where the art of war was no longer practiced. So instead of becoming a fighter, he had chosen to compete in the arena of motor sports. He'd always been proud of what he had accomplished at Nekomi Tech. All the championships they had won, all the celebrations. In the college circuits, he had very nearly been a legend.

Now, seeing these men, he felt as though it might have been a waste. These men had taken up weapons and fought the creatures that threatened the world. They had gone into battle and lost their friends. Even still, they would continue the fight, knowing that they could be the next one to be buried in an old construction site like this. These guys were warriors, in the truest sense of the word.

Slowly, Otaki moved to the graves as he broke the seal on the bottle of sake. Pouring a bit on the first grave, he spoke solemnly. "These men died as warriors, they should be honored." He could hear the Marine with the glasses speaking in English, translating as best he could. He wet the other two graves with the alcohol before turning back. "This is our tribute to them."

The Marines seemed taken aback. They looked at each other, whispering in English, for several seconds before they began to show smiles, albeit weak ones. The one in glasses stepped forward and held out his hand. "Thank you."

Otaki's permanent smile returned as he shook it with gusto. "You men should come with us! We'll get you set up with some good food and a hot bath."

"Yeah!" Tamiya clapped the American on the shoulder hard enough to knock his glasses askew. "We'll get some sake for you guys, too!"

* * *

A/N:

Well, that wasn't too bad. Made a few changes to this chapter as well, mostly toward the first half.

I keep getting this feeling that I'm just floundering around in the dark as I write this. I keep expecting to get a review that points out some absurd mistake in the story. Something like, "Why the heck is Kenshin fighting Nazis? This is an OMG fic, you moron!" I guess I haven't done anything radically stupid so far, huh?

Avan: I think you are the first person to mention the Almighty in your review, which struck me as kind of cool, since I hadn't given it much thought. I'm glad you liked it!

(): I'm thoroughly enjoying the Keos/Marler banter as well. It's tons of fun to write.

Everyone with a signed review, I should have already answered you. If I didn't, I'm sorry I missed you.

I think that's about it. The next chapter will be totally new, and maybe a little more lighthearted. I think we'll probably need it considering what's on the horizon for our heroes.

Katamari Damacy


	15. Arc II Chap 05 Down Time

_Arc II: Chapter 05_

_Down Time_

Marler huffed in irritation as she sat on the edge of the wooden porch. Looking out at the temple yard, full of dead grass and spotted with bare branched trees, there was only a single shrub that was still holding onto its leaves. At least she could be thankful that it had finally stopped raining. _If it gets any colder we're gonna be buried in snow._

The Demon popped her neck as she sat, watching the sky as it lightened for the first time in days. The clouds were starting to thin a little. She absentmindedly wondered if they might see the sun tomorrow, something that had been blocked from view for all but three days since the Cruel Angel had attacked.

Unconsciously she ran her fingers through her hair, only to find them immediately stuck. She growled as she pulled her hand free, tugging her matted hair almost straight out before the sticky blood of those creatures finally let go. She had tried to wash it off with water, but it was like syrup and clung stubbornly to her. The only thing left was to take a long bath, but the two Marines were using it right now. _"Guests first, Marler," _Keiichi had said.

"_Don't worry about it,"_ Urd had said when she protested, _"I'll come get you when they leave. Just try to relax until then."_

"Relax she says." She looked at her thumb and index finger as she pressed the two together, then felt the resistance as the goo coating her stuck them together. "How can I relax when I'm covered in this crap?"

"Hey."

"Hmm?" The Demon looked up to her left to see a human girl standing there. _Ah, yes, that's Keiichi's sister, isn't it? This is the first time I've seen her in a long time._ She seemed to be unhappy about something as she studied the Infernal woman sitting there. "What?"

"You're the one," she stated simply. "You're the Demon who turned me into a car, aren't you?"

"Geh!" Her red eyes grew quite large as she unconsciously leaned away. _Who told her about that?_ "Er, well, you see…"

"And that time I was possessed, that was you, too."

"Ah…" Marler began to laugh nervously as she slowly slid down the porch. "That's an interesting story, actually…"

Megumi took a step forward. "You did all that, and you're still staying in this house? You're the worst."

_Why that little…here I am trying to be nice to these people and now I've got to put up with this? _ "What the hell?" Marler stood up, irritation flaring in her eyes. "I haven't done anything since I got here!"

Megumi took a step back, uncertainty showing on her face. _Heh, this'll be easy. All I have to do is scare her a little and I won't have to deal with her anymore._ She narrowed her crimson eyes on the human as she leaned in, her voice like poison honey. "Now you listen to me, little girl, I've been holding back for a long time now. If you don't stop bothering me, I might just do something to you that you won't enjoy." _That ought to do it!_

She took another step back, eyes glinting with tears. Marler's satisfied smile filled her face as she turned toward the yard dramatically. As such, she didn't notice when Megumi took in a deep breath.

"_Hentai!_"

The word itself startled the Demon more than the piercing volume of the scream. "What are you talking about, stupid?"

"You're a pervert! You just said you'd do _something_ to me," she wailed rather loudly, "you're thinking of doing something naughty, aren't you?"

"What the hell is wrong with you? I told you last time that I'm a girl!" Megumi looked at her suspiciously.

"Megumi! What's wrong?" Keiichi came running out of the house, obviously summoned by the deafening cries of his sister.

The two women spoke in unison, "Keiichi, thank goodness!"

"Your sister has lost her marbles!"

Megumi clutched her brother's arm. "That Demon said he'd have his way with me!"

"I'm a woman, dammit!"

"That's just as disgusting!"

Keiichi's features hardened as he listened. "Marler, why did you threaten my sister?"

Consternation set in as she saw the man immediately believed that Marler was at fault. Granted, she was a Demon, but still she'd been…amiable for a while now. Didn't that count for something? "I was just trying to get her to stop pestering me about turning her into a car!"

"So you _did_ threaten her." _Damn it! Checkmate already?_

She struggled to think of an excuse, but knew none of them would wash. She was wrong and that was that. That was the only response they would accept. _With a misunderstanding this bad, they might even try to kick me out of the city! I can't survive out there by myself!_

Her shoulders slumped as she realized that she had been backed into a corner somehow. There was only one way out, though she loathed the very concept. She could feel her cheeks get hot as she lowered her head. "I…I'm sorry." She could barely be heard, even in the silence of the temple yard.

Megumi's response was quick and harsh. "I don't believe you."

The Demon's body clenched. She had a powerful urge to break something, but forced herself to remain still. "What?" Her voice was trembling with indignation as she looked up at the angry girl, who was half hiding behind her brother.

"I don't accept your apology," she reiterated.

"Fine," Marler growled. She took a deep breath, suddenly feeling self conscious. Swallowing her pride, she bowed at the waist. Her voice was almost humble as she spoke slightly louder than before. "I'm sorry I said what I did."

_Click._

The Demon blinked. _Click?_ As her mind tried to match the sound, she heard a different one. A stifled giggle.

"We did it! Look, she's even blushing! How cute!" The embarrassed woman looked up to see Megumi trying to hide a huge smile behind her hand. Keiichi, too, was grinning, though he seemed a little more wary than his sister.

"Eh?" was all that Marler could manage as she slowly straightened. _I don't get it. What's going on?_

Keiichi put his hands up in front of him as he spoke. "Sorry, Marler. He told us that you two couldn't fight openly anymore, but that Urd never said anything about practical jokes."

"That's right!" Megumi seemed to be having much more fun as she watched the dumbfounded Demon. "I bet it was a really good picture, too! So how'd we do?" She suddenly pointed out into the yard with dramatic flair. Marler followed her finger to the shrub that still had its leaves.

Suddenly a pair of arms and legs sprouted from the plant, as well as the grinning visage of Keos. A camera was in one of his hands as he gave Megumi a thumbs up with the other. "Nice!"

If one looked up the word flabbergasted in the dictionary, there might have been a picture of Marler in the margins, looking exactly as she did at that moment. She blankly stared as Keos uprooted himself. His maniacal laugh suffered from the Doppler effect as he ran, still sporting the ridiculous shrub disguise.

A clock seemed to be ticking down as she watched him round the corner of the house. Suddenly the light came on, and her eyes seemed to catch fire. "You bastard!" Her curses echoed throughout the temple and beyond as she began to give chase. "Give me that camera you son of a bitch!"

* * *

Skuld trotted down the stone paved road, a sense of urgency in her step. Looking back over her shoulder, she frowned at the calm stroll that Gil was taking as he fell behind. "Will you hurry up? We're not going to make it in time!"

He rolled his eyes as he picked up the pace. "With all the stuff you bought today, I don't see how you could have forgotten anything. What's this iso-whatever chip supposed to do, anyway?"

"Isolinear optical chip," she corrected him. "It's an advanced storage medium that can read eighty teraflops of data per second. The basic materials aren't available on Earth, so I couldn't make my own, and I need thirty two so I can do multi-layer five dimensional simulations of sub-spatial tachyon behavior."

He nodded his head as if he understood, but she knew he didn't. "So when does this place close?"

"In fifteen minutes," she replied, "so let's go! I'm not gonna have another chance to get these chips for a long time."

He looked at her for a second before flashing a grin. "Alright then, let's hurry. We still need to meet Belldandy for dinner after this." He abruptly took off at a run, passing Skuld before she realized what he was doing.

"Hey, wait for me!" She started off after him, pushing herself to keep up with him.

He laughed as he looked over his shoulder, still charging forward. "I thought you were in a hurry? What's the deal?"

"You shut up!" In a way, she really enjoyed it when this sort of playful streak hit him, especially since it happened so rarely. Still, it was a little irritating that he was usually the one who claimed victory in his little games. "Gil, look out!"

She had barely called out to him when he slammed into the oblivious child that had wandered into his path. The Templar tumbled a few times before winding up sprawled on his back, the young Celestial in his arms. Skuld caught up quickly, kneeling beside the God. "Are you alright?"

Gilgamesh winced a bit, but nodded. "I'll be alright."

The Goddess flicked him between the eyes. "I meant him." She gently helped the youngster, who appeared to be around six years old by human standards, to sit up. He had short blond hair and a small bump on the left side of his forehead. She smiled at the cute little boy as he slowly came to his feet. "Is anything broken?"

He shook his head as he climbed off Gil's chest. "No. My head kind of hurts, though."

"Aw, poor little guy." Even while she was kneeling, the boy was barely taller than her. She quickly began to straighten out his white robes and fussed with his hair. "Gil, look what you did to him."

The brown haired God had stood up and was dusting off his tunic when he looked down at her. "Wait, so this is all my fault now?"

"Of course it's your fault."

"Remind me, Skuld, why were we running?"

"Remind me, Gilgamesh, who wasn't watching where he was going?"

He grumbled in displeasure. "I guess I gotta give that one to you." Studying the boy, he knelt down beside Skuld. "So what are you doing out here by yourself, small fry? I heard that a lot of the youths are living at the school since their parents are full time over at Yggdrasil. Is that where you came from?"

The boy nodded slowly, looking a little downcast. "I don't like it there. We don't get to leave the school grounds, so it's really boring." The Goddess knew that there were hardly enough Celestials to keep an eye on all the young ones. That was probably why the children were being shepherded in one area.

"Even if it is boring, you shouldn't go running away like this." Skuld spoke to him with a warm and soft voice. Though she didn't realize it, she sounded not unlike Belldandy. "There's probably someone back at the school who's very worried about you. You don't want to make anyone worry, do you?" The boy shook his head in silence. "My name's Skuld, and that's Gilgamesh. What's your name?"

"Dyson," he answered.

"Well, Dyson, let's go back to the school." She stood and held out her hand, which the boy readily accepted. "We'll get someone to look at that bump that _someone _caused, too."

Gil rubbed his eyes in consternation as they passed by him. "What? You're going to walk him back to the school grounds cause of that little knot on his head?"

Skuld felt a grin come on and she leaned down toward the child, making sure she spoke loud enough for the Templar to overhear. "Don't worry about him, Dyson. He's just jealous cause I'm holding hands with such a cute young man." She watched out of the corner of her eye as Dyson looked over his shoulder at Gilgamesh, giving the warrior a big smile.

* * *

"I'm back, Kidara." Israfel set the backpack on the floor of the cave before wiping the sweat from his brow. He'd run into another mutated animal during his supply run, but thankfully it was much smaller, and he had his powers this time. He made short work of it, but it was still a little tiring.

The cave was quiet, with only the sound of crackling embers near the entrance. "I couldn't find any peanut butter cups, but I did find a couple bags of roasted peanuts. Is that good enough?" Still there was no answer as he moved a little further inside. "Kidara?"

"You found a bottle of sake," came a voice from behind him. "Demon Horn brand. We approve."

Israfel spun around with wide eyes to behold a young girl rustling through his backpack. "M-Mistress Hild!" He immediately knelt before the ruler of Hell. "I didn't know you were awake. Kidara was supposed to be watching over you while I was gone."

The diminutive Demon casually tossed a package of instant ramen over her shoulder. "Your sister looked after us quite well."

"Is-Is!" A pair of arms wrapped around his neck from behind, drawing a gasp of surprise. "We missed you so much! You said you got us peanuts? That's not a very good source of power for us, but it'll work!" She leapfrogged over him and floated over to his pack.

_What's this 'we' and 'us' crap? _"You shouldn't talk like that, Kidara. Mistress Hild may not like it when someone tries to imitate her."

"It's quite alright, Is-Is." Hild didn't bother to look up from a package of instant rice as she spoke. "We told her she could." Israfel didn't know what was going on anymore. _Is-Is? Did Kidara use her stupid nickname for me as a bargaining chip so she could talk like Hild?_ "She was just so cute when she asked, we couldn't say no!" _Are they _trying _to make me freak out?_

Kidara responded by showing off her little fangs, her voice almost too sugary-sweet to bear. "Aww, you're embarrassing us, Hild-nee-chan!" _Hild-nee-chan? _Israfel thought he was about to see the abrupt end of his sister, but instead the most feared of all Demons gave a rather cute smile of her own.

_No! Even if she's in this little girl form, she's the CEO of Hell! I can't think of her as cute! I hate cute things anyway! What the hell is wrong with you, Israfel?_

"Oh, oh!" His sister suddenly waved her arms about excitedly. "You got us peanut butter pocky!" She abruptly launched herself through the air and wrapped him in a surprisingly tight hug. "Thanks, Is-Is!"

Instinct took over as he began trying to pry the girl off of him. "Quit it, Kidara! You know I hate it when you get all touchy-feely on me!" As soon as he finished his sentence his body went rigid. Sweat began to form on his brow and his breathing became shallow.

Hild was right next to his little sister, her arms wrapped around him in much the same way. Though his mind was swirling from the madness of the last few minutes, he could easily enough see the dangerous smile on her young face. _Oh no, she's toying with me._ "Kidara took such good care of us while you were gone, Is-Is. We think it's only fair that you let her hug you as much as she wants in return."

Israfel's answer was immediate, and saturated with defeat. "Yes, ma'am."

* * *

"And then I kind of nudged him and said, 'Earth girls are easy!' Then he got all angry and started lecturing me." Ergaddas tried to make a scowl, but traces of his smile could still be seen. "_You know the rules about that sort of thing! Taking advantage of the women here is strictly prohibited!_" The other Templars joined him in laughter as they looked at their boss, who was trying to smile along.

"You forgot the part where I threatened you with guarding the construction crews," Keos added.

Another God caught his breath. "Yeah, I seriously thought you were going to slap me when I didn't wake up for my watch that one time."

"And you've been on time ever since." Ergaddas patted his friend on the back, drawing another laugh from everyone. "Yeah, ever since you got promoted, you've been a real hard-ass, Keos. You know that, right?"

The Templar leader chuckled at this. "Yeah, well, all your kisses are starting to soften it up." This drew another round of guffaws from the warriors.

"What I don't understand," one of the younger Gods spoke up, "is how we keep screwing up these little things that tick of the boss man here, when he somehow manages to do all the stuff he does, and never make a mistake." Ergaddas exploded into laughter at this.

Keos remained more straight faced. "Well, I wouldn't say I never make mistakes. I mean, statistically you have to make one sometime. I just don't do anything blatant."

"Hey, Keos!" The Templars all stopped and looked to see where this female voice was coming from. Megumi Morisato quickly bounded into their midst. "Sorry to interrupt you guys." The Gods all muttered back things like 'Don't worry about it.' or 'No problem, miss.' Their eyes all went to Keos with a 'What's this?' sort of look.

Keos smiled at her. "That was great work, Megumi! Priceless!"

"Really? I thought it was great, too! I mean, when you described it I didn't think it would work, but it was amazing!"

He nudged her a little with his elbow. "I bet it felt pretty good, too. I know I enjoyed myself!"

"Oh, yeah, it was an awesome feeling, being in charge of a situation that way! Seeing someone so powerful bow down like that!" She glanced quickly at her watch, then repeatedly patted his arm. "I've got to get going soon, but do you have the pictures?"

He reached into his robes and pulled out a digital camera. "Right here!" They huddled close together as he displayed the shot of Marler bowing before her and Keiichi.

"Is that me? Look at the expression on my face!" She briefly covered her eyes with her hands before grabbing the God's arm and shaking him. "That's so embarrassing! You can't show this to anyone!"

He chuckled. "Well what was the point of setting up the shot in the first place then?"

Megumi gave him a sly grin as she started to walk away. "The pure enjoyment of it. Now don't forget, you promised me!"

"Don't worry, I'll be by the temple later tonight. We'll do it then." He waved at her and received one in return.

"Alright, I'll be waiting!" She flashed a winning smile. "Bye, you guys! Thanks for guarding our city!"

Keos shook his head as he watched her hop on her bike and pedal away. "I swear, that girl is a little…what?"

He had looked over to see his Templar friends looking at him with wry grins. "I would ask what that was all about, but I think I can figure it out on my own."

"What are you talking about?" Keos found himself off guard as one of the other men clapped his hands together before tucking them against his own cheek.

"You didn't even give the poor girl a goodbye kiss!"

"Yeah, you shouldn't be embarrassed about it!"

Ergaddas was obviously enjoying himself as he patted Keos on the shoulder. "Yeah, Mr. _taking advantage of the women here is strictly prohibited!_"

Keos waved his arms in front of him. "Whoa there, guys, you got it all wrong! I'm just paying her back for a favor she did for me. I'm just going to take her flying over the city."

"I'm sure she'll feel like she's flying." They all laughed again as he rubbed his face in irritation. "What sort of _favor_ did she do for you, anyway?"

He groaned as the situation deteriorated. "Will you idiots listen to me, there's nothing…"

"Keosh!" A long, very nearly slurred, call of his name interrupted him. Before he could turn around, a pair of slender, darkly tanned arms reached around his neck. "Found you!"

His eyes were wide open, though he could barely tell they were starting to dry out. All he could think was that his idol Goddess, the one woman in all the Universe who made him nervous, was hugging him from behind. "L-L-Lady Urd! What are you doing?"

"What a mean thing to ashk," she pouted, though she didn't let go of him. "I came all the way out here," she spoke clearly and softly, her lips brushing his ear, "just to see you."

_Oh my God! What the hell? Why is she…oh my God!_ He was beginning to feel light headed as his breathing matched pace with his pounding heart. "Why sho tense, Keosh?" She was slurring a little again. "We need to looshen you up with shome shake!"

She began to wave a half empty bottle in front of him, though he couldn't think straight enough to wonder where she had pulled it from. Every time she sloshed it from side to side, he felt her breasts press against his back.

_I have no regrets._ That was his last thought before the world went white. He didn't feel himself hit the ground, or the Goddess who landed atop his prone form with a delicate _'oof!'._ Nor did he hear the _click_ that his fellow Templars heard as Marler leapt from a nearby pile of firewood.

"Yes! In your face!" She yelled and pumped her fist in victory, waving a camera around in the other hand. "Now I got dirt on both of you! My plan worked flawlessly for once! Whaddya think about that you two?"

Silence.

The Demon blinked and moved in for a closer look as Ergaddas tentatively did the same. Urd, still clutching her bottle, was snoozing quietly. A small bit of drool crept from her mouth and onto the back of Keos, who had apparently swooned beneath her.

Marler snapped another picture.

"Er, your name's Marler, right?" Ergaddas was looking up at her. She simply nodded in response, not used to having a Templar call her something other than 'Hey, Demon.' "Could I get a copy of that picture? I think it'd be pretty fun to wave it at him now and again." He had a smile on his face. She answered with a flash of her own sharp canines.

"For a price. I thing we can work something out."

* * *

"So you're a real Templar?"

"Can we see your sword?"

"Show us some really cool moves!"

The excited voices of the young boys jumbled together as they surrounded the God. The twenty-seven youths were bombarding him with questions as they made their way across the lawn of the school. Gilgamesh was having a great deal of difficulty trying to keep track of their queries, though they didn't give him a moment of silence to answer.

Grewana, the Goddess in charge of this particular group of children, had certainly been grateful not only for having Dyson brought back so promptly, but also having the youths distracted from their boredom. Before he had realized it, she had thanked him for giving her a break and Gilgamesh found himself herded out to the lawn by the hoard of boys.

Looking over his shoulder, he hoped to find some help from Skuld, only to find her being hurried away in the midst of a swarm of girls. She seemed as uncertain about all this as he felt, but there wasn't much to be done. _ So much for buying your iso-whatever chips._

"Is being a Templar hard? I wanna be one too!"

"Is that girl over there your girlfriend?"

It was with wide eyes that Gil spun around on the child God, sounding a little more surprised with the question than he meant to. "W-What?"

The boy's nose was red, as if he wiped it too often. "Is that girl you came with your girlfriend?"

"Uh…" Gil scratched his jaw as he struggled for a response. "Well, that's sort of, well, it's kind of hard to explain."

"She's not his girlfriend," one of them stated, drawing nods and assenting murmurs. The Templar tried his best not to let his shoulders slump.

"I thought all the Templars were on Earth."

"Yeah, why are you here?"

"Are you _really_ a Templar?"

"Hold it, hold it!" Gilgamesh put his hands up, motioning them to quiet down. "First of all, of course I'm a Templar. Second of all, not all of us are on Earth. Some of us stayed here in Heaven to train the cadets and to be a reserve force in case of attack. Third…"

"You mean an attack on Heaven?" They all began arguing whether that was possible or not.

A sigh escaped him as he looked up at the afternoon sky. _Almighty, what the heck am I doing?_ "Hey, listen up for a second." The children, for the most part, quieted down. "I don't think you guys have much to worry about. We're just being cautious. Heaven's the safest place in existence, after all."

"But if all the Templars are supposed to be training or guarding Heaven, then what are you doing here?"

"That's what I was trying to say earlier," he replied, "I'm Lady Skuld's bodyguard."

"Why does she need a bodyguard in Heaven?"

"She doesn't," Gil told them. "She'll need one when she goes down to Earth. That's why I'm going with her."

"Are there really monsters down on Earth?"

"I heard there were dragons!"

"There's supposed to be vampires, too!"

"Are you going to fight any werewolves? That'd be pretty cool!"

Gil couldn't help but give a chuckle at their innocent concepts. "Is that what you think is down there?" They all seemed to nod in unison. He shook his head a bit, then motioned over to a stone bench beneath an old pecan tree on the edge of the lawn. "Let's sit down for a while."

He settled onto the hard seat as the boys sat on the shaded grass before him. "Now, just so you know, there aren't any of those monsters that you asked me about earlier, but there are evil creatures down there. They serve a dark enemy who is trying its best to destroy everything, Hell, Earth, and Heaven."

"And you're going to fight him?"

"Yes, I am." The boys seemed a little star struck by his professed bravery. He motioned at them and waited for them to settle down. "You guys are still kids, so I'm sure that the grown ups are trying to prevent you from knowing just what's going on. They want you to be able to live out your childhood without having to be afraid of what's happening outside of Heaven. But you are also young men, and some of you might be accepted as Templar cadets in the next few years. I think you deserve to know.

"Heaven is at war. Your mothers and fathers, maybe even your older brothers and sisters if you have them, are helping us to defeat our enemy." He looked at the boys, who were watching him with wide eyes. "Some of you might know about this already, but we've already lost some of our Templar forces to the enemy. They fought and died under the banner of our Lord because they wanted to protect Heaven and Earth and all the people in them. We're holding our own against the enemy now, and there is no way that we can loose. Everyone is doing what they can, giving everything they've got, and you guys do, too."

The children were looking quite shaken. _They must have been more sheltered than I thought. But it's fine, they're tough. _He showed a confident smile, meeting the eyes of each one of the boys. "In the end, the young always take the place of their seniors. Just as I'm taking over the reigns for my friend, my big brother, someday you boys will take my place. All of you will answer the call in one way or another. You'll fight to protect your friends, your family, and maybe even those girls over there." He drew a few smiles with that one. "You'll fight for your brothers, too. Everyone in the Templar order thinks of his companions as brother warriors. In a way, all of us here are brothers." He gave a short laugh, "Even me."

Most of them were grinning back at him now, still riveted to his every word. Dyson, who had remained conspicuously silent till then, raised his hand as he spoke. "We wanna help, too. What do we do?" The others murmured in agreement and nodded their heads.

Gilgamesh was pleased at the response. "Before anything else, I want you boys to realize that the more you disturb your teachers and your families, the less energy they will have to face our enemy. You must all keep this in mind the next time you, oh let's say, decide to run away." The Templar gave a wink at Dyson, who was trying not to look embarrassed.

"That being said," he continued, "you all should devote yourselves to study and training." It didn't take long for the look of betrayal to appear on their faces. "I know what you're thinking, but whether you realize it or not, you are becoming stronger at this school. Look at the students that are only a year or two behind you."

"Even if we are stronger than them," Dyson said, "even if we study and get a little bit better, what good would that do? We still wouldn't stand a chance against someone like you."

"That's true, Dyson, if you and I fought there's no doubt that you couldn't even touch me. But if all of you attacked, coordinating and timing your strikes, you just might have a chance of wounding me." That was probably an exaggeration, but he needed to give them something to shoot for.

Some of the boys looked doubtful, though. "Wait, aren't Templars supposed to be all honorable and stuff? All of us attacking at once doesn't sound like fighting with honor at all."

"Someone trying to hurt women or children is without honor, anyway," he answered them deftly. "You needn't show honor to them. Besides, if it comes down to you guys, then you have to do whatever it takes to win. It'll be up to you guys to protect the girls over there."

A boy with a look of disgust on his face called out. "Why?" Several others agreed with him.

"Well, it's just like how some of you little guys will soon be old enough to get your licenses and take your places among Celestial society." His eyes wandered over to Skuld, who was laughing and smiling brilliantly. "Those girls will be growing up right along with you. Someday they're going to be beautiful Goddesses, like Lady Skuld. It's the duty of brave young Gods like us to defend them with our lives."

As if on cue, Skuld looked up, and their eyes lingered on one another for a few wonderful seconds. Too soon, though, the girls regained her attention, and the boys had a question of their own.

"Hey, big brother?" The kid with the irritated nose had his hand raised. Gil had to work to keep his smile from getting too big.

_That's the first time anyone's ever called me big brother._ "What is it, little bro?"

"Are you sure she's not your girlfriend?" His audience was staring at him as intently as before, but for some reason it was now making him feel a little hot under the collar.

He shifted uncomfortably before trying to answer. "Well, like I said before, it's kind of hard to explain." There was an odd silence as they stared at him. If he had been aware of human cinema, he might have thought it a very 'Children of the Corn' sort of moment. "What?"

Dyson stood suddenly, and took off across the lawn. "Wait, where are you going?" But Gil could already see the answer. The boy was making a beeline for the place where the young Goddesses were sitting. The dark haired Templar watched in curiosity as Dyson strolled right up to Skuld and spoke behind a cupped hand into her ear. He wasn't sure, it was hard to see at that distance, but her body seemed to become very rigid and she began to fidget with the fringe of her pink outfit. _What in the world are you doing, kid?_

Leaning over to him, Skuld whispered something back to the blond boy, who turned and loped back across the grounds. He came right up to the front of the group and stood before the perplexed Templar. "She said no."

"Well what did you ask her?"

Gil noticed that the boy was trying his best to keep a straight face. "I asked her if she'd go out with you." The God could only stare slack jawed at the kid as the other boys began to laugh.

"You what?" His voice boomed across the schoolyard, drawing looks from the girls group. His face burned as he tempered his volume. "Dyson, are you serious? Cause if you are, I may have to kill you."

"No, big brother, I was just kidding." Gil only had a second to wonder why Dyson was still struggling with his smile. "She actually said yes."

The God felt the heat on his cheeks spread to his ears. He slowly, cautiously, moved his eyes over to look at Skuld, only to find that she had disappeared. _Scratch that, there she is._ The Goddess had left her perch on the bench and was trying to hide amongst the younger girls, ducking low to avoid being seen. He could still see the shiny black hair as her head sat marginally higher than the rest.

He was brought back from his tunnel vision by Dyson's singing, which was quickly joined by a chorus of the other boys. "Gilgamesh and Skuld are sittin' in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!"

"Dyson!" Again the God's voice echoed across the lawn as he dove forward with a playfully evil grin. "Say your prayers!"

The blond boy tried to dodge, but found himself taken to the ground in the light tackle. He started to laugh as he tried to wrestle with his assailant. "Everyone attack at once! Everyone attack at once!"

Child Celestials all over the school campus heard the battle cry of the six year olds as they dog piled the First Order Templar.

* * *

A/N:

LOL

That was a really fun chapter to write, though it took a little while longer than I thought it would to produce. The premise of the whole thing started with the Keos vs Marler thing and went from there. The kids were fun to write. Lots of energy from them, I hope that showed. Like I said, I wanted to get some humor and maybe a warm fuzzy in while I could.

The two parts that I thought could be misinterpreted were the thing with Hild and the part at the end with Urd. Hild, I have seen, can be rather playful when she wants to be, and I thought maybe with someone else to go along with (Kidara), this part of her personality might come out a little more.

The part with Urd was maybe not hinted at enough. The idea was that after Keos got Marler, the two women hit the bath. Marler gets Urd drunk over the next couple hours, then convinces her to go find Keos. Being drunk, she readily agrees.

Oddly enough, this chapter has turned into the longest one posted so far (though not by much). I know of at least one that will be much longer than this one coming up, though.

NavyPolice83: Thank you for the kind words! I'm glad you like it so much.

(): How was this for humor? Did I pull it off?

Lunatic Pandora1: I think I replied to your review, but just in case. You'll see why I'm sending Skuld soon. Also, I think pretty much the whole world (those who are left, anyway) know about the Celestials, though they may not know the _exact_ nature of them.

Well, I think that's it for now. Thanks for reading, and I'll see you next chapter.

K.D.


	16. Arc II Chap 06 Changing of the Tides

_Arc II: Chapter 06_

_Changing of the Tides_

Belldandy hugged her little sister tightly. "You be careful down there, Skuld."

"Don't worry, sis," she replied. Acting a little embarrassed, she still returned the embrace eagerly. "It's not like I'm going down there by myself or anything."

Pulling back, she gently caressed the younger Goddess' cheek before turning to the Templar. He was dressed for battle, wearing his sleek grey armor and his no-dachi at his belt. His dark blue cloak hung behind him, giving him quite the heroic look. "You be careful too, Gilgamesh. I don't want to see either of you hurt." Her eyes began to water as she briefly touched his shoulder.

He smiled reassuringly. "Your sister is in good hands. Just relax, and we'll see you back in Nekomi."

Peorth sauntered up to the trio. "I see you're getting emotional as always, Belldandy." She patted Bell on the shoulder as she tried to lighten the mood.

Wiping the tears from her eyes, she gave a small laugh. "I'm sorry, everyone. I know everything will be alright." Even as she spoke, she felt the worry in her heart pull at her.

"Looks like it's time, you two," the Goddess of Roses nodded at the two younger Celestials. "The gate to Earth is about to open." As if on cue, a small bead of light appeared near two elaborate statues against the far wall. The two carved angels had their arms outstretched toward one another, and between them the light quickly grew in intensity. Belldandy could feel the air pressure change slightly as the blue glow expanded outward and, in the blink of an eye, became a swirl of clouds, opening into a portal.

They could see the dark sky of Earth through the gate, and the distant, hazy horizon. "Alright then." Gil's voice carried over the hum of energy coming from the portal. He was grinning eagerly, obviously looking forward to going. He glanced back at her and gave her a nod before turning back to his ward. "Let's get going, Skuld."

"Right!" Skuld wore her own excited smile, tightly gripping her long hammer. As the pair floated toward the gate, she waved behind her. "Don't worry, sis! We'll see you back home! We'll all spend Christmas together!"

Belldandy waved back to the pair, silently praying that they would be safe. She wiped her eyes again as the gate swirled and collapsed on itself, and the two disappeared from sight.

"You know," Peorth spoke with a bit of regret, "I was actually hoping that this would last a little longer. It may not be boring over at Yggdrasil anymore, but now I can't get away from it."

"It sounds like you could use a vacation, Peorth." The two giggled at the thought. It wasn't that she didn't need the time off, Lord knew she did. The barely visible circles under her eyes and frequent yawning, like she was doing right then, proved how exhaustive her schedule had been.

Unfortunately, there was almost nobody who was qualified to take her place. Urd was on that short list of names but, like all the others, she was needed elsewhere. Bell herself might have been able to, but she had been away too long and Yggdrasil was too hectic for her to get back in the swing of things.

"Hey, Belldandy." Peorth had again put her hand on her shoulder and was looking at her with a bit of understanding. "You shouldn't let yourself be too worried about them. We all have more than enough to think about as it is."

Her hand came up to take the one resting on her shoulder. "Thank you, Peorth, but you shouldn't have to worry about me either."

"Who say's I'm worried?" The Goddess of Roses gave a sly smirk as she pulled away and floated toward the door. "We had a breakthrough this morning, so I need to get back. I'll be sure to come see you before you head down to Earth. I'll tell you all about it then."

"Bye, Peorth," she waved as they parted. Lingering in the chamber for a few more moments, she stared at the space where the gate had been. _Peorth is right._ Nodding, she resolutely turned and strode from the room. _I shouldn't worry. Everything is going to be fine._

Walking down the corridors of Yggdrasil, she looked on in wonder at all the open panels and work tubes that marred the usually smooth walls. Cables and circuit boards and all manner of things hung out of place, some bundles of wires even hanging from the ceiling. As she sidestepped or ducked to avoid these work areas, she found it quite amazing at how much effort everyone was putting into fortifying Yggdrasil's systems.

It wasn't long before she was outside and feeling the cool breeze shift the long cloth of her blue and white robes. As she moved further and further from the towering structure that housed the operating system of reality, she began to realize that her feet were taking her on a more scenic path to her home in Heaven.

Small birds chirped in the branches that reached over the stone walkway, fluttering from tree to tree. As she took in the beautiful landscape, she hummed an old song to herself. It was a tune that her mentor, Celestine, had taught her when she was just a child. He would sing it to her whenever she felt sad, and it had never failed to cheer her. She found herself wondering just what he would be doing right then if he had still been alive.

_He'd probably be on Earth, trying to protect as many people as he could. Celestine never was one to stand by when others needed help._

Glancing to her left, she saw the nearby shoreline of the Crystal Sea. The shimmering surface reached out to the horizon, as far as her eyes could see. Floating down the grassy slope and onto the beach, she smiled at the memories the place brought to her. Feeling the warm sand between her toes, she thought back to those days. Long before she had heard of the Cruel Angel, before Keiichi's wish, even before she received her first class license as a Goddess.

"C'mon, Skuld!" Urd had called out, her hands on her hips. "You said you wanted to learn how to swim! Don't be a chicken!" She was standing up to her knees in the glittering surf, wearing a rather tame lavender, two piece bathing suit. Well, it was tame by recent standards, but back then she looked no more than sixteen years old.

A very young Skuld was in a frilly blue swimsuit, shaking her head vigorously and scuttling back when the waves washed over her feet. "No! No! No!" She cried out with tears in her eyes. "I changed my mind!"

Urd rolled her eyes. "Oh, for the love of…Don't be such a scardie cat! I'll be right here with you, so there's nothing that could possibly go wrong!" Her reassurances didn't have the desired effect.

"Noooo!" The child Goddess ran as fast as her legs would take her. A young Belldandy, barely a teenager herself, caught the fleeing girl in her arms. She had a white, single piece suit, with a sky blue bit of wafty cloth tied like a skirt around her waist. She held the squirming little girl, doing her best to console her.

"It's alright, Skuld" she spoke softly, smoothing out her young sister's dark hair. "I'll be right here watching. There's nothing for you to be afraid of."

Much calmer, but still sniffling, the little one looked up at her. "Why don't you teach me? I trust you."

Urd's annoyed voice sounded from the water's edge. "I can hear you, runt!"

"You asked Urd to teach you." The blue eyed Goddess smiled as she spoke. "She knows what she's doing. She's actually a better swimmer than me." Skuld looked suspicious of this but said nothing. "I'll be right here in case something happens. Now, go on." Patting the girl on the backside, she sent Skuld toward their older sister.

They started out in the shallows, splashing water at each other. Skuld came to like the water quickly, especially when she was able to drench her older sister. It was one of the few times in her life that she had the white haired Goddess on the run, and she enjoyed every minute of it.

When it came time to move into deeper waters, however, she was not nearly so daring. Urd decided to be relatively serious, something that didn't often happen in those days, as she held her baby sister. Though she did threaten to leave Skuld in the middle of the sea once or twice, the lessons came along rather nicely. Three hours after their arrival, Skuld had allowed herself to let go and swim on her own.

Immensely pleased with her accomplishment, she raised an arm out of the water and called to shore. "Sis, look at me! I can swim! I can swim all by myself!"

"That's wonderful, Skuld!" Bell waved back at the excited girl. "I knew you could do it!"

That was when it happened. Belldandy had found out later that there had been a massive overload in the environmental controls for Heaven due to a viral infection of that sub-system of Yggdrasil. This had caused a short that sent tremendous amounts of Celestial energy to random locations throughout the Eternal City. At the time, all she knew was that the Crystal Sea had suddenly filled with electricity.

Skuld's scream ended as abruptly as it started, as she passed out over ten meters from the shore. Urd was floundering badly, but managed to grab Skuld. She was able to keep them above water, but only just. Belldandy tried to push her terror aside as she flew out over the electrified surface to try and help her sisters.

"Take Skuld!" Urd tried to push the girl above the water as she herself went under. Bell reached down to grab her younger sister and felt the energy of the sea course through her arm. She winced and cried out a bit, but pulled the girl up tightly to her chest. Still worried about Urd, she turned to deposit Skuld on the shore when a powerful arc of Celestial energy jumped from a cresting wave. The painful shock stunned the unsuspecting Goddess and, with a yelp of pain, fell into the water.

In agony and very disoriented, she managed to hold onto Skuld as she thrashed about frantically. Bell could feel the angry water spirits, driven mad by the unprecedented surge of energy. Her muscles were contracting against their will and she couldn't right herself. She couldn't get away from the spirits that were assaulting her, nor could she drive them back in her weakened state.

A wave of fear washed over her when she realized that no one knew they were there. By the time anyone thought to look for them, it would be too late.

_I…I can't hold on._ Her body jerked as the water poured into her lungs. As she felt the water spirits begin to poison her, the world turned to darkness.

Through the black, she heard a voice. His tone was gentle and warm, and she at once felt safe. "Belldandy. It's time to wake up, Belldandy." Slowly opening her eyes, she squinted as the visage of Celestine came into focus. "I'm glad you're all right."

_I don't understand. All right?_ The memories came flooding back as she abruptly sat up, clutching the front of his robes. "My sisters! Are they safe?"

Setting a calming hand on her still wet shoulder, he replied with a smile. "They're fine. We drew the water spirits and their poison from your bodies." He motioned to a place nearby where she saw Urd and Skuld, laying unconscious on the grass. "All that's left is for them to wake up."

Relief washed over her and she felt tears sting her eyes as she threw her arms around her mentor. "Thank you! Thank you for saving them. I don't know what I would have done…" The young Goddess began to cry as she thought of what might have happened.

Celestine held her as the tears dampened his tunic. She soon heard a melody from the God. He was humming her favorite tune for her, the one he always sang to her when she was down. Wiping her eyes as she pulled away, she rewarded his efforts with a radiant smile.

The relief still had not fully faded from her as she glanced back at her siblings. As she saw them lying there, a thought occurred to the blue eyed Goddess. "Celestine, how did you know we were in trouble? How did you find us so quickly?"

"I can hear your thoughts." He laughed a little at the curious expression he received. "Don't you remember me telling you years ago, that I would always be able to find you, no matter where you hide? It's because I'm always thinking about you."

"I see tha lassie is doin' better now!" A booming voice behind her gave Bell a start. "I suppose tha will mean tha other young 'uns ought ta be wakin' up soon." She stared at the huge, burly God, his scarred and wrinkled face less than welcoming.

"Belldandy, this is Lord Odin." Celestine gestured toward the ancient Templar. "He helped me to save the three of you."

Favoring him with a smile, she bowed, her voice filled with gratitude. "Thank you very much, Lord Odin! I just can't tell you how glad I am that you helped us!"

The grey bearded man chuckled as he scratched at his tangled whiskers. "Twas nothin', lassie. An don't call me lord. Jus Odin is good enough fer tha likes ah me."

Her hand covered her mouth as she shook her head. "Oh, I couldn't just call you Odin! It would be disrespectful to you!"

Feeling her mentor's hands gently squeeze her shoulders from behind, she heard him whisper quietly into her ear, "Why don't you call him uncle?"

The smile returned just before she flew forward to wrap her arms tightly around the neck of the surprised elder God. "Thank you, Uncle Odin!"

The cold water washed over her feet as she let out a small giggle at the memory. _I was worried that Skuld would be terrified of the water after that. Instead she was intrigued by the power of electricity, and helped lead her down the path of an inventor. Urd ended up being more wary of these waters than anyone, and she was the best swimmer._ She laughed again as she continued her slow walk down the beach.

Taking in the scenery, she realized that she had unconsciously made her way along the water's edge as she thought of the past. She was standing in the very spot that Skuld had been when she decided she didn't want Urd to teach her. A little up the grassy hill behind the sand was the place that she had met Uncle Odin for the first time.

As she studied the familiar area, she saw a figure further down the beach. They were leaning against a tree on the grass a little ways away, simply staring out at the shimmering sea. As she approached the black clad God, she was about to say hello when he tensed suddenly, looking at her with glowing green eyes. Bell felt the huge spike of power in the air and let out a startled yelp at his unexpected reaction.

He studied her for a second before sighing a bit, his power subsiding as he relaxed back against his tree. She wasn't quite sure what to make of him, but she put on her best smile anyway. "I'm sorry if I startled you. My name is Belldandy."

His green eyes were no longer glowing as he glanced up at her again. "Lady Belldandy? Urd's sister?"

"Why yes," she replied with mild surprise. "Are you friends with Urd?"

He hesitated for a moment. "I work with her."

"Do you mind if I sit with you?" He motioned silently to the ground. Bell settled on the cool, shaded grass beside him. "What's your name?"

"Sephiroth."

"Oh, so you were the leader of the Templars on Earth," she chirped. "But why are you here?"

"I ask myself that same question," he replied flatly. "Your sister seems to believe that I need more time for my injuries to heal."

Belldandy nodded as she listened. "I understand. I was told that you were badly injured when you attacked…I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring up unpleasant memories. I know it's a bit late for me to say this, but I'm sorry for the loss of your fellow Templars."

His eyes searched the horizon as he looked out over the sea. "It's nothing. They died as warriors. In the end, that is all a Templar can truly hope for."

A moment of silence passed before Bell spoke up. "But that isn't all you can hope for. Those men had people who they loved, and who loved them. Isn't there someone that you care for? Someone that would be sad if you were to die in battle?"

"There is no one." He quietly sighed, still watching the waters. "I have been alone almost all my life. My father died when I was young, and I never knew my mother. All I had was the way of the warrior, though even my brothers in arms seemed distant to me.

"The day when I ascended to the Third Order, I was given the opportunity to free the holy sword Masamune from a stone near the Lord's Palace. It had been there for a thousand years, and I pulled it out with ease. The weapon began to communicate with me and, though it is only a sword, it became the closest thing I had to a friend. For years I hardly needed to speak with others. All I wanted was to become stronger, and Masamune helped me. It knows everything that its previous wielders ever learned, and it has taught me programs that haven't been used in generations."

Belldandy, curiosity getting to her, asked him, "Where is Masamune now?"

"On Earth," he replied. "I lent it to Urd so she could carry on the fight down there. Masamune was the one who suggested it stay with her." He blinked and shook his head a bit. "Why am I telling you all of this?"

She smiled at the stoic warrior. "Maybe without Masamune around to talk to, you were just a bit lonely. No one likes being by themselves all the time."

The white haired God seemed the slightest bit amused by her words. "Has anyone ever told you, Lady Belldandy, that you have an unnatural ability to make people trust you?"

"It's nothing, really." Her cheeks became a bit colored as she shifted in place, embarrassed by the compliment. "I just try to understand the feelings of everyone around me. Seeing other people happy makes me happy, too."

Sephiroth seemed to ponder her words for a few seconds. "I don't understand that at all."

"I'm sure that you do," she responded. "There must be someone who you want to see happy. You and Masamune are friends, right? You two have talked a lot over the years."

"Masamune is a loyal friend," he said, thinking hard about her words, "and I do feel some amount of pleasure when he is happy, but I don't know if that is what you are talking about. It just doesn't feel like the same thing."

"The same thing as Urd?"

If she hadn't been watching for his reaction, she wouldn't have seen his eye twitch at her words. "I don't know what you mean."

"You said 'Lady Belldandy' every time you've used my name," she explained, "but you never used 'Lady' in front of Urd's name. The way you say her name holds a certain amount of familiarity." Bell watched him but he kept his face neutral. "You said before that you have sought strength since you were young. I've found that the desire, the need, to protect someone that you care about can make a person stronger than anything else."

He was silent for a moment before responding in a rather serious voice. "You may be right, but what if your thoughts about someone do nothing but confuse your emotions? What if that person irritates you as often as they calm you? The destabilizing effect that it has on your concentration seems to make you weaker."

Belldandy looked up at the sky, watching the slow drift of the shifting clouds. "As often as the person may do things that bother you, it doesn't change the fact that you don't want them to come to harm, right?" He looked over at her blankly as she met his eyes with a bright smile. "As long as you want to keep that person safe, then you will find your true strength."

"Lord Sephiroth!" The girl's voice drew their attention to the young Goddess who was flying up to them. The two Celestials stood as the red headed, pig tailed girl landed before them, panting heavily.

Belldandy put a hand on her shoulder to steady the young Celestial. "Arimeia, what's wrong? Would you like to sit down?"

"I'm alright, Lady Belldandy. Thank you." Her breathing started to slow a bit as she looked up at the stony faced Templar. "I'm sorry to bother you, Lord Sephiroth. There's a situation over at Yggdrasil. Lady Peorth has requested your presence as soon as possible."

"I will be there shortly." He turned briefly to the adult Goddess. "If you will excuse me, Lady Belldandy."

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­

"Perhaps I should come, too," she said, stepping forward. "If there's a problem, then I might be able to help a little."

"As you wish."

* * *

Heaven was arranged around the Palace of the Lord Almighty. Many homes and parks surrounded the magnificent structure, which rose higher than any other. Centered on the Lord's home, three major structures were arranged equidistant from each other, forming the corners of a triangle when viewed from above, and were visible from anywhere in the Eternal City. 

One of these corners, near the Crystal Sea, was the Tower of Yggdrasil, its massive tree reaching into the sky. A river flowed by the tower, feeding into the shimmering sea. This river snaked its way through the city, running through part of the Lord's Palace, from its starting point in the mountains. It was here that a huge waterfall glittered next to several large structures that seemed to climb the mountain itself. These were the Halls of the Templar, the second point of the triangle.

The third point was a hill, surrounded by carefully maintained forests, gardens, and a small lake. It was amidst this beautiful landscape that the glorious structure that housed the Council of Heaven stood. It was many stories tall, with hanging gardens and artificial waterfalls along its walls. Its many colors of stone caught the eye, as most places in Heaven were built in pure white. It was truly one of the most amazing structures in Heaven.

Within its walls, the Council normally saw a great many Celestials going to and fro, taking care of whatever business was at hand. Like most places in Heaven, though, the pace had picked up dramatically in the last month. Things in the Council had almost grown as hectic as they were in the Goddess Relief Office. Constantly messengers darted between chambers, sometimes flying out of the courtyard to some other part of Heaven. Like sparrows they flitted from place to place, taking files and letters to various members of the Council as they moved from one meeting to the next.

The Celestials who made up the High Council were very busy making most of the decisions concerning the war in place of the Almighty, who had withdrawn to take care of an unknown matter of great importance. The Council members were not perturbed in the least by their Lord's absence at such a crucial time. In fact, they felt honored that He would entrust them with the responsibility He had given them.

As one of many Gods made his way through the open air courtyard, he wondered if he would be able to get to his next meeting on time. Had he been anyone else, they would simply start the meeting without him. In his case, though, that was impossible. They could not begin the meeting without the leader of the Council.

Chancellor Marduk brushed the dark purple strands of hair from his eyes as he briefly read the key points for this meeting. Cursing himself for taking a long lunch, he wondered how this would affect his schedule. _I'm behind enough as it is. I'll just have to rush this briefing and try to make the next one on time._

He glanced at another sheet of paper, showing what he had the rest of the day. _First the Templar Draft Initiative. After that is the Secret Report on the Traitor Investigation. Then the Goddess Relief Resources petition. Then five more hours of debate on the floor of the Council Assembly._ He unconsciously rubbed at his eyes.

Truth be told, the only thing that occupied his mind was the traitor investigation. Everyone knew that without leaked information from someone in Heaven, the Demons would never have found, much less freed, the Cruel Angel. The fact that someone might have been working for the ancient foe of Heaven had made many Celestials very nervous, and the investigation had proceeded in earnest.

It seemed, though, that the perpetrator had covered his or her tracks quite well. The investigation had stalled almost as soon as it had begun. Marduk had used this fact as an excuse to become directly involved with the search for the traitor, and ever since he had been making suggestions and offering advice to the Templars in charge. The whole issue was worrisome to the God, and he made it a point to stay very involved in the progress of the search.

"Lord Chancellor!" A young boy called to him from the sky. Marduk looked up to see a young God floating down into the courtyard, landing in front of him. "I have a message for you, Chancellor!"

"What is it, my boy?"

The messenger bowed as he held out a sealed folder. "Lord Commander Daedalus said that this was important, and to give it only to you."

Marduk took the folder from the boy, who stood upright again, watching as the Chancellor broke the seal and began to read the information within. His eyes grew larger as they raced down the page, a small smile showing on his lips. "Daedalus gave this to you, did he? Did he say where the person in question is?"

"Lord Commander Daedalus said something about someone being at Yggdrasil. It sounded pretty important," the boy responded. "I wasn't supposed to hear that, though. Please don't tell Lord Daedalus that I was eavesdropping, sir! Please?"

Smiling, Marduk snapped the folder shut and rustled the boy's hair. "You have done very well, young man. Go tell Daedalus to meet me at Yggdrasil with as many Templars as he can find. Hurry!"

­­­­

The boy bowed quickly. "Yes, sir, Lord Chancellor! I'll tell him straight away!" With that, the young God turned and sped off into the sky.

Looking back at the folder in his hands, the leader of the Council felt a wave of satisfaction and relief wash over him. _I didn't think things would work out so well._ Lifting off the polished stone walkway, he soared away from the Council building. _The meetings will have to wait._ Smiling to himself, he lanced through the blue sky, straight toward the Tower of Yggdrasil.

* * *

"Don't worry, sis!" She waved over her shoulder as they passed through the gate. "We'll see you back home! We'll all spend Christmas together!" 

Gilgamesh smiled at her confidence. She was certain that everything would go smoothly. Though he knew from experience that things seldom followed the details of the plan, he hoped that on the whole her optimism wasn't mistaken. Looking at the Earth below them, however, caused his smile to quickly fade.

"What happened, Gil?" Skuld was horrified at what she saw. "It's been demolished!"

Demolished wasn't the word he would have used. _More like obliterated._

They had gated in a few hundred meters above the Naval base at Yokusuka. Rather, they were where it used to be. The ocean churned angrily to the south, and Tokyo Bay roiled to the east. Everything inland, however, was destroyed. A few steel girders, bits of concrete still clinging to them, tried to reach above the devastation, but everything else was little more than rubble and ruin. It was as if something had reached out and wiped the place from the Earth.

"I've never seen anything like this," he remarked grimly. "I don't think that even the meteors could have done all this."

Skuld looked at him, not quite as confident as before. "But if the Hell Storm didn't do this, what did?"

He scanned the destruction, looking out over the nearby waters for an answer, but found none. "I don't know," he finally answered. "Whatever it was…"

Both whipped around at the sounds they were hearing, looking inland with disbelief at what awaited them. Neither Celestial spoke as they stared for several seconds at the unlikely sight. "Gil, do you see what I see?"

"I'm not sure," he replied frankly. Gripping the hilt of his sword, he glanced over at her. "Let's go, Skuld. Stay close to me." She nodded as she gripped her hammer, Mjolnir, and the two flew inland.

As they approached, Gil realized that what they had seen was actually far bigger than he had originally thought. A massive ship was resting in the middle of the destroyed city. Massive amounts of tracer rounds could be seen streaking out of the land locked vessel. "That's an aircraft carrier!" The Goddess' disbelief was apparent in her voice. "But that thing is over three hundred meters long! It probably weighs tens of thousands of tons! How did it get all the way here?"

As they got closer, the weapons stopped firing. Whatever battle was being fought was apparently over. Looking at each other, the pair descended slowly onto the massive flight deck. Gil was allowing his power to flow through him, ready to protect Skuld at a moment's notice.

The flat top of the ship had what appeared to be piles of sandbags in various places around the edge. Each pile had a large machine gun or small cannon, protected and stabilized by the sacks of dirt. As they touched down atop the seventy five meter tall carrier, almost all the humans stared wide eyed at them. Gilgamesh bent to the side and whispered to the raven haired Goddess. "Maybe we should go find the person in charge."

Nodding, she strode across the flight deck like she owned it, smiling and waving at the dumbfounded men. Some waved back absentmindedly while the rest simply gawked, unable to convince themselves that they had just seen two people float out of the sky and onto their ship.

Apparently, someone finally realized that there were intruders on board. Gil stepped forward protectively as the pair was surrounded by a dozen camouflaged men, all pointing their rifles at them. _I could take these guys out with ease, but Skuld might get hurt. Besides, we're supposed to be helping these people, not killing them._ Slowly, he raised his hands above his head.

Skuld, obviously nervous, tried to look as if she were in control of the situation. Planting her hands firmly on her hips, she ordered the men in English, "Take us to your leader!"

Gilgamesh winced as he barely contained a moan of frustration.

* * *

Hild felt a small smile on her lips. Taking a moment to adjust the red fleece blanked that she had draped over Kidara, she watched the young Demon as she snored quietly. If she had been the type to run away from her problems, she would have envied the black haired girl. She was carefree, and knew almost nothing of the incredible danger that they all faced. _Yes, it would be wonderful to be so blissfully ignorant._

But she was not one to run from her problems. She wasn't one to give up, to admit defeat. She bowed for no one. It was her feet that people groveled at, her favor that they fought each other to win. She was the most powerful Demon alive.

She was the leader of Hell, god damn it.

Kidara grinned and giggled a bit as Hild's small hand brushed her cheek. "You're a lucky Demon," she whispered to the sleeping girl. "When I get Hell back…well, I'll let you choose your reward for entertaining me." She gave a silent huff of a laugh before standing, making her way out of the dark cave.

It was cold outside, but that didn't bother her that much. The sky was dark but it seemed as though the clouds were starting to thin. The bare trees stood silently as they spotted the craggy rock face where the Demons had made their temporary home. It seemed like a wasteland, which was appropriate for the refugees. At least, that was what she felt.

Hild was thankful that in her child form she didn't have to stoop to enter any of the caves. She strode in, hearing the jumbled conversations of several individuals. Turning a corner, she found them arguing amongst themselves. A few of them were huddled on the hard floor, trying to light some pieces of dried tinder.

Israfel, looking irritated with his comrades, saw their diminutive ruler as she approached and bowed low. "Mistress Hild!" His loud announcement caused the others to bow in respect as well, echoing his welcome.

She gave no sign that she heard them. "We require more light," she stated simply, sitting on a nearby stone.

"Of course, Mistress," one of the three working on the tinder responded. "We're trying to start a fire right now."

She rolled her eyes, quickly growing impatient. Snapping her fingers, the dry twigs exploded into a raging fire, drawing yelps from the Demons who were huddled around it. The flames subsided to a more reasonable level in a matter of seconds, and she began to look at her followers. She was a bit surprised to see that they all looked at her as if she had broken their favorite toy. "What?" When no one responded she fixed her eyes on Israfel.

He didn't seem to want to say anything, but he answered anyway. "M-Mistress, we've been trying to avoid using our powers anywhere near the caves."

She cocked her small head a bit to the side, still watching him carefully. "Why?"

"Well, since our enemy is occupying Hell," he explained, "they have access to Nidhogg, which means they can monitor when and where we use our abilities. We didn't want to draw attention to ourselves."

He obviously wasn't expecting her to laugh at him, nor was anyone else, because they got the most peculiar expressions when she did so. "Is that all?" She pretended to wipe a tear from her eye as she waited, but no one responded. "Nidhogg doesn't function without our authorization. We disabled the system's controls before we escaped. It was difficult, but we couldn't have the Cruel Angel using our own system against us, could we?"

"The Cruel Angel?" Israfel seemed intrigued. "That's our enemy? You fought with it, Mistress?"

"Yes," she answered him quietly, trying not to remember the struggle. "He is the most vicious and evil thing to ever live." The Infernals remained silent, pondering what could be so horrible that Hild would claim it to be more evil than she.

One of the other Demons began to smile. "Mistress Hild fought their leader during their surprise attack and at least managed to battle it to a draw. That means we have the advantage if we surprise them! All we have to do is slip a small team in to secure Nidhogg. Then we'll have our powers back and we can regroup to attack this thing."

"You're wrong." She spoke with a little more emotion that she had planned, but it got his attention. "You can't get to Hell. A barrier has been erected so that no one can get in or out. Heaven sealed it just as we escaped. Obviously He realized that the Cruel Angel was there and tried to contain him. Though we hate to admit it, it was a sound plan. But it only bought time. Cracks are already forming in the barrier, and it won't be long before the Cruel Angel makes his way back here to Earth."

The cave was silent, save for the crackling of the bits of wood in the fire. Israfel was the first to speak. "If that's true, Mistress, what do we do? How can we fight back?"

She narrowed her eyes, looking at each of the Demons in turn before answering. "We must leave this place. We need to find more of our comrades before we can even begin to pose a threat to the Cruel Angel. After that, we may have a chance."

One of the men asked her, "A chance at what, Mistress?"

"A chance of finding a way to get our home back."

* * *

Peorth found it difficult to hide her surprise. "Belldandy? What are you doing here? I thought you were going back to your house?" 

"I was talking to Lord Sephiroth when he got your message," she replied. "I thought I might be of some help."

She shook her head, still sitting in her command chair. "Sorry. I know you mean well, but there really isn't much for you to do here. I do need Lord Sephiroth, however."

The Templar finally spoke up. "Why did you summon me, Lady Peorth?"

The Goddess of Roses scowled a bit as she responded. "There's a problem in the Haguruma section."

"Haguruma?" Sephiroth crossed his arms, obviously unfamiliar with the term.

"It's an ancient section of Yggdrasil," Belldandy answered him. "Think of the Haguruma as the original version of Yggdrasil. This computerized version that we know was built over the original system, and has only been in use for a millennium or so."

"As you know," Peorth took over, "our systems didn't detect the Hell Storm until it was almost in the atmosphere. We've been working for weeks now to discover how the Cruel Angel was able to execute such a huge program without our knowledge. This morning we finally discovered why. The Cruel Angel didn't summon the Hell Storm at all. It was Yggdrasil."

The blue eyed Goddess was taken aback by this revelation. "How can that be?"

Sephiroth's gaze narrowed on the watch commander. "So you're trying to tell me that someone in Heaven went into an obsolete part of Yggdrasil and triggered the Hell Storm from there?"

"Exactly." Peorth looked grim as she spoke. "But you shouldn't think of the Haguruma as obsolete. It's capable of executing the same programs. Whoever it was even managed to hide what they were doing until it was too late. The only reason we don't use it anymore is because the computerized system is more user friendly and easier to maintain."

"If we've switched to the new system," he asked, "how was the old one able to activate the meteor program?"

"It was never disconnected," Belldandy answered, looking a bit disturbed by all this. "The Haguruma is still a hardwired part of Yggdrasil. It would have been a massive undertaking to remove all the connections and move all functions to the current system, so they just left it there. It probably never occurred to the Council that someone would use it in this way."

"So you want me to go into the Haguruma and discover who or what is behind all this?" Peorth shook her head at the Templar.

"No, you don't have the training," she answered. "We need you to escort one of our technicians inside and keep her safe."

Sephiroth arched an eyebrow at that. "You sound fairly certain that there is a reason for your Goddess to have an escort when she goes. I assume there is something other than a few bugs wandering around down there."

"I'm not sure, to be honest," Peorth sighed. "We sent in two Goddesses this morning, as soon as we found out the connection to the Haguruma. We don't know if it's some sort of glitch, but we lost contact with them half an hour ago."

* * *

A/N: 

A little more than seven thousand words, the longest chapter so far! It looks like the Demons are getting ready to make a move, and who knows what lurks within the Haguruma (look up haguruma in the Japanese dictionary to get an idea what that will be like). Plus, who is this person at Yggdrasil that Chancellor Marduk is after? Why is an aircraft carrier miles inland?

The flashback with the near 'drowning' incident hopefully makes more sense than it did the last time I wrote it. Before it was just electricity and drowning. Now it's Celestial energy and water spirit poisoning.

By the way, it's kind of obvious from my mention of Celestine, but I will be using the OMG movie for some source material in addition to the manga. Just so you know.

Haha, looking back at my notes I found out that when I had made it to this point in the story last time, the OMG section of ff net had just had its two hundredth story posted. Now that we're up to, what, four hundred and something fics, I thought that was kind of funny. Plus, I think Zankoku is now longer than it was when I stopped posting last time, and I've still got six more chapters of material from back then. That ought to show how much bonus material you guys are getting this time around!

Oh, I remember wanting to do sort of an omake style chapter after the story is concluded. Sort of a cast party for all the characters, good and bad. I'm definitely going to try to do that when we finish, so look forward to that!

As always, thanks for reading, and kudos to you reviewers out there. You guys are making this worthwhile. See you next chapter!

Katamari Damacy


	17. Arc II Chap 07 Display of Evil

_Arc II: Chapter 07_

_Display of Evil_

Chihiro absentmindedly pushed her stray hair away from her eyes, stuffing it back under her black toboggan. Her fingerless gloves weren't doing a particularly good job of keeping her hands warm, but it was better than nothing. She was even wearing long johns beneath her racing jumpsuit, but was still grateful that the wind wasn't blowing very much. Taking in a deep breath of the cold mid-morning air, she looked down from her perch high above the city.

The tower that she was standing on looked more like a vertical scaffold than anything else. It had been cobbled together from recycled metal and planted at an intersection, centered in the street between four buildings that were each six stories high. They did their best to fabricate high tension wires to keep the towers from swaying. It had been quite difficult anchor the lines to the surrounding buildings, let alone balance the load between them properly.

Still they had managed, and today they would finish this one, just like the others. Looking across the cityscape, three other towers rose above the buildings. Atop each one sat a swivel-mounted turbine, each powered by three large blades that spun in the wind. They were a major source of electricity for the city, even though they could hardly power more than a fraction of it. Chihiro was still proud that her own hands had helped to build them.

"Okay, this side's good!"

She smiled in excitement. "It took you long enough, Morisato! I've been done for five minutes!"

A short laugh arose from the other side of the turbine. "Sorry, sorry. We're good to go now, right?"

"I think so," she mumbled, quickly running her eyes across the machine before her. She talked to herself as she followed colored wires, looked at all the exposed bolts, and ensured that there was grease only where it was supposed to be. "Yeah, we're good up here." Poking her head over the edge of the platform, she yelled down as loud as she could. "You guys ready down there?" She heard someone yell something that sounded like an affirmative, but couldn't quite make out the words. "We're unlocking it now!"

"I'm ready when you are," Keiichi's voice again came around the large device.

"Alright then," she replied, still grinning as she shifted herself near the main shaft. They had set up a large brake to clamp down on it and stop the blades when they needed to do maintenance. Grabbing the lever on her side, she could see Keiichi's face around the turbine housing. "Let's do this! One, two, three!"

They yanked the levers simultaneously, freeing the three-bladed windmill to spin. Though it was slow since the blades were turned with their edge to the wind, it started to rotate with a small metal groan. She and Keiichi grinned at each other as they waited and watched. It didn't take long for the people on the ground to pull the levers and crank the blades around. Catching more air, the windmill made its first full rotation as her partner crawled around the platform to her, reattaching his safety line as he looked at the analogue gauges on their generator.

"We're getting current," he said over the green and red muffler he had wrapped around his neck. He smiled at her as best he could with his numb face, and Chihiro suspected that her nose was just as red as his was from working eight stories in the air for two hours. "Looks like another successful project, boss!"

"All right, Team Whirlwind!" They laughed a little as they high-fived each other. "Looks like we'll be able to keep a few more people warm on Christmas Eve!"

Their laughing abruptly stopped when they heard a distant noise. "What was that? It sounded like the biggest car backfire in history." They began to look around for the source of the sound, and it didn't take long to find it.

"Look," she pointed, "there's smoke over there! Looks pretty close to the city wall. You don't think…"

"It's probably nothing," Keiichi interrupted her, sounding only marginally concerned. "I think that's where the Marines are setting up. I know they've got explosives with them. Maybe they're just setting one off as a test or to drive off some enemy."

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Chihiro nodded before cupping her hands over her face and breathing on them. "Okay, it's great that our wonderfully designed and constructed wind generator works. Now let's get the hell off this thing. I'm about ready for a hot cup of coffee."

* * *

"In here," the guard said roughly. "The Admiral is waiting."

Skuld felt the human prod her through the door with his rifle. Normally she would have blown them to bits with one of her custom made bombs, but Gil had suggested that they take their captivity with a grain of salt.

Not that she liked the idea of being ordered around by these rude men. In fact, it was taking every bit of restraint she had to keep herself from turning around and strangling them.

The Templar didn't seem to be enjoying the situation any more than she was. She could still feel his energy swirling in the air around him. The Goddess knew that he could put these human in their place whenever he chose, but he was holding himself in check and she knew exactly why. The two had been sent to Yokusuka to find out the condition of the military forces here. Knocking them all senseless, or worse, wasn't going to help anyone.

Stumbling into the room, she spun around to glare at the guards. They didn't seem very impressed when she stuck out her tongue at them, but it made her feel a little better. Turning back, she looked around the room she had been thrust into, noting immediately that it didn't seem to belong on a warship like this one.

The walls were a darkly stained wood of excellent craftsmanship. The beige carpet was a stark contrast to the dull grey metal deck through the rest of the ship she had seen. All manner of miniature anchors and helm wheels adorned the walls between pictures of sailors and ships, while a nautical chart of the Pacific took up a large portion of the right hand wall. A globe stood near the large map, along with a brass compass on a metal stand.

In the center of the room was an old oak desk with an Armillary sphere setting to one side, a detailed model of the carrier sat on the other side, though it looked a bit damaged. In front of the table were two cushioned leather chairs, and behind it was an almost elderly man in uniform. He eyed the two coldly as they entered.

"I apologize if my men mistreated you," he told them in a less than apologetic tone. "Unfortunately, these are difficult times and we cannot afford to trust anyone. I'm sure you'll understand." He motioned briefly to the chairs in front of his desk.

Settling down into her seat, Skuld spoke up. "So, are you the one in command here?"

"Yes," he nodded, "I am the senior officer on board the USS Enterprise. Admiral Julian Garland, United States Navy."

Gilgamesh leaned forward a bit in his seat. "If I remember my Earth military classes correctly, the commanding officer of a United States vessel like this should be a captain."

"I will ask the questions for now, if you don't mind, boy." His voice became sharp as he eyed the two. When the two Celestials remained quiet for a few seconds, he continued. "The Master at Arms informed me that you two claim to be Gods. I can't say that I am inclined to believe such a story, so why don't you tell me who you really are, and what you are doing on my ship?"

"Well, technically you're correct, Admiral," she replied before motioning to her companion. "Gilgamesh is a God, I'm a Goddess."

The Admiral's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Don't play with me, little girl." _Little girl? Oohh, I'm gonna get this guy!_ "You expect me to believe that you're both deities? I'm sorry, but I happen to be Christian. That means _one_ God!"

Skuld was getting ready to snap back at the older man when Gil spoke first. "That's just a label misunderstanding. Kind of a mistranslation, I guess. You're right in that there is only one Almighty in Heaven. Gods and Goddesses are just what we refer to ourselves as."

"That's right," Skuld jumped in, "I think the word most monotheistic religions would use to describe us would be angel." She thought they were making good progress until she was startled by the human slamming his hand down on his desk.

"So you infiltrate my ship, carrying weapons I might add, and then expect me to believe that you two are angels? Do you take me for a fool?" His face was red, contrasting sharply with his white hair, as he glared at them. Standing up, he planted his hands on his desk as he leaned forward menacingly. "I don't suppose you can provide any proof to back up your claims?"

_Proof? Like displaying our powers or something?_ The Goddess looked at Gilgamesh, who nodded at her unspoken question. "Very well, Admiral Garland," she said with a slight smile. "If you want proof, then I'll give it to you." _I'm going to savor the look on his wrinkled old face when he sees this!_

Leaning forward in her cushioned chair, clasping her hands together close to her heart, she closed her eyes and searched within herself. Reaching into the ethereal world of her soul, she felt something warm and bright. Smiling at the familiar feeling, she reached out to grasp it, only to have a small hand reach back and grasp her own.

Extending her arms out before her gracefully, she called out, "Come forth, my angel! Noble Scarlet!"

At her summons, a wisp of cloud appeared from her back. From atop the swirling white came a small girl with short, blond hair. Her deep red eyes closed as she offered the Admiral a winning smile. Garland, on the other hand, looked ready to have a heart attack.

Skuld's satisfaction at the old man's expression lasted only a split second. Normally she would have been oblivious to the movements of the four guards near the door behind them. However, with her angel present her senses were sharpened. It wasn't difficult to notice the humans raising their rifles. It was even easier to hear the clicks as the weapons were switched from safe to fire. In that moment, she realized with chill just what they were intending.

A surge of power quickly filled the room, and out of the corner of her eye Skuld saw a flash of white as the Templar's wings unfurled. The Goddess' ears popped from the changing air pressure as she and Scarlet ducked to the floor. The sudden gale force winds that swirled around the cabin very nearly blew her over, despite the fact that she was crouched. Several loud crashes and clatters sounded over the papers that were flying everywhere. Behind her were several grunts and cries as she heard their weapons fall to the deck.

The wind subsided as quickly as it began, and Skuld dared to venture a look at her surroundings. _Is this what it's like in a tornado? _The chairs they had been in were blown over, several of the pictures that she could see were hanging askew if they were still on the walls, and papers were strewn about everywhere with some even sliding off her arms as they helped push her into a kneeling position.

A few white sheets still fluttered to the ground around Gil, his feathery wings outstretched. The God quickly spun toward two more guards who had burst into the room. They took one look at the four unconscious guards and immediately zeroed in on the two Celestials. As they took aim he raised his hand toward them. She could hear the firing pins click, but no shot rang out. The guards looked rather confused and a bit frightened as they checked their rifles, getting ready for another try.

"Stop this now!" The winded, though still commanding, voice of the Admiral filled the room. "Stand down, men." Skuld looked up at the old man who was struggling to his feet behind the desk. Quickly looking back, she was relieved to see the humans slowly lower their weapons.

"Get out," Gilgamesh commanded them harshly, "and take your friends with you. If I was going to kill anyone, I would have done it already."

With a nod from Garland, the guards slung their rifles over their shoulders. Gil was plainly having trouble maintaining his patience as he waited for them to remove their unconscious brethren. As the last human exited the Templar flicked his wrist, causing the hatch to slam shut and lock.

Skuld and Noble Scarlet took this time to return their chairs upright, but Gil didn't sit. With a look she had never seen in his eyes before, the God turned his gaze on the Admiral, who had picked himself up off the floor and was flexing his right arm painfully.

"Admiral Garland," the Templar's voice shook with rage, "that was a warning. If anyone on your vessel so much as takes his weapon off safe in our presence again, people will die."

Noble Scarlet watched Gil with worry and a small bit of fear, a mirror of Skuld's own feelings as he deliberately stepped toward the human. _I've never seen him this angry before. Should I do something?_

"Do you understand me?" Gilgamesh slammed his hands on the oaken desk hard enough to crack it. "I will destroy this ship and everyone in it if I have to. I will not allow you to harm her!"

Garland had flattened himself against the back wall, eyes wide and breath quick. _Well, looks like he at least regrets treating us the way he did._ He looked over at her, his eyes pleading for help. _This is too much, though. Even this arrogant old human doesn't deserve this._

"It's alright, Gil," she said softly. He flinched as she placed her hand over his. She could see the inferno burning within him. "I'm alright. Now please, calm down a little." The Goddess watched as the flames diminished, but they weren't snuffed out.

He looked back at the old man across the desk, obviously wanting to say more. Worried that his anger would reignite, she was about to try again to calm him when something surprised them all.

Gil's intense glare at the Admiral was broken by Noble Scarlet. Skuld's angel had floated over the desk and positioned herself in front of the furious God, wearing a nervous but determined expression on her child-like face. The Templar had only enough time to blink before the blond haired angel moved forward and wrapped her arms around his neck.

His eyes widened in surprise as he looked at the form that was embracing him so tightly. Skuld, whose face had become quite red, felt uncomfortably warm at the sight. After all, an angel shares not only the powers of her Goddess, but also the feelings. _One heart, two bodies. I wonder if Gil knows about that?_

The God's great wings disappeared, leaving only a few feathers drifting to the floor as proof that they were ever there. An unsure smile grew on his face as he spoke gently to Scarlet. "You we're just worried about me, weren't you?" The youthful angel looked up at him, tears in her deep red eyes, and nodded silently. "I'm alright now," he told her, returning her hug. "Thank you for helping me, Noble Scarlet."

Smiling happily, she patted him on the shoulder before returning to Skuld. She gave one last wave to him before disappearing behind the raven haired Goddess.

Gil finally returned to his chair, breathing a heavy sigh. The Admiral was still eyeing the Templar warily, but regained his composure as he righted his own chair. "I…I must apologize for my behavior," he said slowly. "I did not believe that you could possibly be who you claimed. However, I cannot disregard what I have seen with my own eyes."

"What's done is done, Admiral Garland." Skuld tried to imagine what Belldandy would do in this situation, and did her best to show the same genuine smile that her sister would have shown. "Since we all know that we're on the same side, I think we should try to put this behind us."

The human took his seat, looking much older than he had before. Rubbing his chin, he nodded to them both. "Yes, that would be for the best. My men were startled by your demonstration. I will have word sent out that you are here as my guests. You have my word that there will be no more misunderstandings, Miss…Skuld was it?"

"Yes, sir," she nodded, though a curious look soon appeared on her face. "Before we get onto business, there's something I'd like to ask."

The grey haired man arched an eyebrow at this. "What would you like to know?"

"When we first came in, you said that you couldn't afford to trust anyone," she said. "What exactly do you mean by that?"

His eyes closed as he leaned back in his chair, sighing heavily. "Well, let me start from the beginning. I was the commanding officer of the carrier battle group, with the Enterprise as the flagship. This was to be my last tour before retirement, and we were sailing around the world to commemorate it. The group made a port call here at Yokusuka before heading to Pearl Harbor, then finishing in California. The Hell Storm hit as we were leaving Tokyo Bay.

"A meteor crashed into the ocean south of us, we figure about ten miles out. It was a big one, and the tsunami it triggered was incredible. Every ship in the group was torn apart, but by luck or act of God the Enterprise managed to survive in one piece, more or less. We were washed several miles inland, and more than a few sailors were lost that day. Still, after all that, I suppose that we only lost four hundred people could be considered good luck.

"Most of our communications equipment was damaged, but even with the radios that still worked we couldn't contact anyone. Our jet fuel stores were ruptured, so we couldn't launch any of the aircraft that managed to stay flight worthy. So when the creatures started to appear, we had only ourselves and the weapons in the armory to count on. After a few days, we managed to set up a few bunkers for the heavy guns, and modified the Phalanx turrets to fire at a negative angle, so it was pretty much impossible for them to get anywhere near the ship. They were fast learners, and stopped trying to hit us with straight out assaults. We figured that we had them spooked, that we had driven them off for good. Unfortunately, they proved far more devious than we had believed."

* * *

"Chancellor Marduk?" Peorth leapt to her feet when he strode into the control center. "What are you doing here, sir?"

The leader of the Council of Heaven was glancing around from station to station, barely acknowledging her presence. "Have Lord Daedalus and his men arrived yet?"

_What? Why would the Supreme Commander of the Templar Order be coming here?_ She looked over at Belldandy, who was standing nearby. The other Goddess returned Peorth's confused look. "No, Chancellor. Might I inquire what this is about?"

"You seem very agitated, Chancellor Marduk," Bell spoke with concern. "Is something the matter?"

The God turned to the pair as if he had just noticed them. "Is anyone in the Haguruma right now?" The abrupt question threw Peorth even further off balance.

"One of our technicians," she nodded. "She just went in with Lord Sephiroth a half hour ago."

"Chancellor," a resounding voice boomed through the control center. The Goddess of Roses looked up and over her shoulder to see an older God with long brown hair descending to the command platform, flanked by a squad of nine Templars. "I came as quickly as I could. These were all the men I could raise at such short notice."

"It should be enough, Daedalus," Marduk replied as they touched down. "We don't have much time." He seemed quite sure of himself as he spoke.

In contrast the Templars, Peorth saw, seemed ill at ease. Even Daedalus seemed a bit uncertain as he looked at Marduk. His voice was grave as he asked, "Are you sure about this, Lord Chancellor?"

Nodding confidently, Marduk turned to the Goddess standing beside Peorth. "Lady Belldandy, I must ask that you come with us. I understand that you are quite adept at healing programs. We may be in need of your skills."

Peorth suddenly felt very worried, and Belldandy seemed quite shocked at the Chancellor's words. "I-I am at your disposal, Lord Marduk. If you have need of my abilities, then I accept."

"Very good," he said simply before turning to the Templars. "Let's go, Daedalus."

The Goddess in charge of Yggdrasil had no idea what was happening. "Wait, where are you going, Chancellor."

He called over his shoulder as he lifted off the platform, "To the Haguruma."

The others followed him, and Belldandy exchanged an uneasy look with her before joining them. As she watched them soar across the control center, Peorth felt a ball of ice form in her chest. Looking down at the three consoles before her, she prayed for the safety of the Goddess assigned to the empty center seat.

* * *

He opened his eyes tiredly. "Do the two of you know of the Vietnam War?" 

Skuld shook her head while Gil sat with his eyes closed. "I was a young Navy pilot back then. On my third mission, I was shot down by the VC's. For many this would have meant becoming a prisoner of war, but I was lucky. A platoon of Marines rescued me before I was captured, and I spent several days with them before I was able to be transported out. While I was in that camp, I saw a few of the enemy's assaults on our forces. I saw some of the tactics that they used, things that will haunt me for the rest of my life."

Skuld leaned forward, hands on her knees. "What kinds of things, Admiral?"

"The VCs knew that they couldn't beat us in a fair fight, so they used anything they could to kill our men. One tactic that they liked to use was to send civilians, women and children, into our camps, pretending to be refugees. These 'non-combatants' would be persuaded by the VCs to conceal explosives under their clothes. They became weapons, walking bombs."

The Goddess put her hands over her mouth in disgust. "That's horrible! Barbaric! I can't believe anyone would do such a thing."

The old man leaned forward on the cracked desk. "I saw it with my own eyes, Miss Skuld. Never will I forget the look of that girl, the one who killed herself and two Marines with her." He paused for a moment, rubbing his eyes. Skuld didn't have the heart to say anything.

* * *

Urd swooped out of the sky, the Masamune strapped over her back. She had heard the explosion on the edge of town, and not long after Keos sent a messenger to bring her to the site. She didn't know what had caused the blast, nor did she know if anyone had been hurt. However, the fact that Keos had sent for her made her fear the worst.

Touching down gracefully, she saw several men in camouflage with their rifles pointed at the trees beyond the fencing. The fire had been extinguished, but the shallow crater of scorched, black earth told her exactly where it had been.

"It's about time you showed up, Urd." Marler wore a grim look as she approached. "You aren't going to like this. Hell, I'm a Demon and even I feel a little dirty after this."

The white haired Goddess painfully noted the two white sheets concealing the victims of this event. "What happened?"

The Demon sighed and pointed to a badly cracked wall. "You should ask those two." Urd looked over to see Keos speaking to two large men who were sitting against the fractured concrete. She was surprised to see that she was quite familiar with both of them.

"Tamiya? Otaki?"

The Templar looked over at her as she walked up. "Lady Urd. You know these two?"

She nodded in response. "Yeah, they're Keiichi's upperclassmen."

The two humans looked at her, the agony clear on their faces. "Miss Urd, it was terrible," Otaki managed to say.

"They saw the whole thing," Keos told her grimly, looking disgusted with the whole affair.

The Goddess knelt in front of them, placing a hand on both their shoulders. She spoke as gently as she could. "Tell me what happened."

Tamiya had to clear his throat before responding. "We got ta be pretty good friends wit some of da Marines, and we was helpin' dem ta set up their machine gun. Den dis girl comes walkin outta da forrest."

Urd felt a chill run down her spine. _No one said anything about a girl._

"When she came up," Otaki continued in a strained voice, "we were back here, getting sandbags with a couple of other Marines. The two guys up there walked up to talk to her. We were coming up to see what the little thing was doing in the woods, since those guys couldn't speak any Japanese. All of a sudden…she just…" His voice caught in his throat, unable to say any more.

"The girl must have been hiding some kind of explosive device," Keos nearly spat. "That, or someone put some kind of program on her. Either way, this poses a problem for us."

Urd found herself fighting back tears as she looked back at the two men concealed beneath the white sheets. _They never had a chance. And neither did that girl. Someone took advantage of her._

A tingle in her back reminded her of Masamune's presence. _I know. It's almost too horrible to believe._

_

* * *

_

"After the flood waters subsided, over three hundred people who had somehow managed to survive came to us, begging for help. A few more trickled in over the next couple weeks, but not too many. We took them aboard, of course, and they are living as well as can be expected, under the circumstances.

"Captain Jameson, the skipper of the Enterprise, was below decks about two weeks ago, checking on the civilians. It turned out that one of them had a makeshift bomb on them. It killed eighteen people, including the Captain.

"Since that day, I have been in command," the Admiral spoke quietly. "Though it pains me, I have decided not to allow any more refugees on board."

"What do you mean?" Skuld blurted out. "There are people out there who need your help! You can't just leave them out there to be slaughtered by the Cruel Angel's minions!"

"So that's what you call the thing that we're at war with, eh?" He was speaking with an odd calm, as if it was all out of his hands. "The Cruel Angel. It certainly is cruel, I'll give you that." He leaned forward, his voice becoming more forceful. "Listen, Miss Skuld, I want to help those people out there as much as you do, but I am responsible for the lives already on this ship. There are nearly three thousand sailors and civilians here. Men, women, and children. I know a lot of them by name, and I have promised all of them that I will allow no harm to come to what's left of their lives. I will not risk another suicide attack on them. I would rather die than break my promise to any of them."

Skuld felt torn as she listened. "Even if that means sacrificing the innocents that are still out there?"

"There is no other way that I can see," he answered sadly.

"That is a difficult choice to make, Admiral." They both looked over at the words of the previously silent God, who was now looking at the human with an unreadable expression. "It is not the course I would have chosen in your position, but I cannot fault you for trying to protect these people."

* * *

Belldandy felt uneasy as she walked through the Haguruma. It wasn't that she was worried for her safety, as the Templars had formed a defensive circle around her and were ready to protect the Goddess from whatever may have been present. Her problem was the Haguruma itself.

The grate metal catwalks clanked audibly, echoing off some unseen surface in the darkness, as they made their way through. Massive, toothed wheels of pitted iron turned slowly while huge pulleys twisted and tugged on thick wires that disappeared beyond the edge of the dim light that surrounded them. The mechanisms of the titanic machine had patches of rust in various places while a fine layer of dust accumulated on anything that didn't move on a regular basis. The Celestials footsteps seemed deafening compared to the quiet churning of the clockwork system.

The Goddess of the Present could feel the loneliness of this place, the solitude. Thousands of years ago, Celestials would have been everywhere. Gods and Goddesses floating about carefully oiling the joints, cleaning the gears, maintaining the springs and pendulums. That care vanished when it was abandoned by its former masters almost nine hundred years prior, and since then virtually no life had returned. It had probably been centuries since so many Celestials had stepped foot on these suspended metal floors. All that time the Haguruma continued to function, to run in the only way it knew how, all alone in the darkness. She felt very sorry for the place.

Bell assumed that they were going to find the thing that had caused the disappearance of the two Goddesses from before, but she was beginning to wonder if that was all there was to it. As she studied the expressions that the Templars wore, she could see a hidden pain that most would never have noticed. She could see the conflict in their hearts, the battle between sorrow and anger, between confusion and clear resolve. Even Daedalus, the Supreme Commander of the Templar Order, had what looked like traces of doubt on his face.

Chancellor Marduk, on the other hand, was far surer of himself. A clear look of determination shone in his eyes, as if he were looking forward to what lay ahead. She wasn't sure why, but that look disquieted her more than the edgy appearance of the Templars.

No one would tell her what was going on, either. The Chancellor had ignored her, while Commander Daedalus flatly refused to tell her anything. He assured her that no harm would come to her, that he and his men would protect her with their lives. She smiled at his men and thanked them, but she still couldn't shake the feeling that something was very wrong, especially when the Templar Commander muttered something under his breath that hadn't been meant for her ears. "I just hope it doesn't come to that."

They continued their search as Bell pondered everything that was happening. For nearly twenty minutes they made their way through the dark spaces of the Haguruma. She was about to make a comment about how massive this place was when everyone abruptly stopped.

Without warning, Marduk dove over the edge of the catwalk with the other Gods following quickly. The Goddess followed as well as she could, dodging chains and gears, touching down only a moment after the last Templar.

She could see a shadow ahead of them on the darkened platform, apparently humanoid. The Chancellor raised his left hand, creating a ball of light overhead. The illumination allowed Belldandy to more clearly see the form. It had its back to them, and was dressed in black. A long shock of straight, snow white hair fell down its back, a spot of glistening crimson staining it near the shoulders. She knew immediately who it was.

"Lord Sephiroth! Are you hurt badly?" She leapt forward through the Templars, getting surprised looks as she wove between them, only to be stopped by the arm of Marduk. "What are you doing, Chancellor? Why are you stopping me? He's hurt, I need to help him, Chancellor!" Her struggle ended when she saw the look of grim satisfaction on the High Council leader's face.

Confused, she looked around to the other Templars, only to find that they had drawn their swords. All stared hard at the center of the platform, a deadly anger in their eyes. Bell followed their glare back to Sephiroth, who was now turning toward them slowly, bloody sword in hand. The intense look of hatred on his face made her want to step back from him, despite the several meters that separated them already. Then her eyes spotted something else. She saw the limp form lying in a pool of blood behind him. _Oh, no. Oh, please no!_

Faster than anyone could stop her, Belldandy rushed forward. Glancing cautiously at the white haired God, his green eyes watched her coolly as she passed him. Not caring about her robes, she knelt in the blood that covered the plate metal floor beside the unconscious Goddess. Placing her hands over the deep wound in her chest, Bell threw everything she had into her healing program.

Several tense and silent seconds passed. She could feel her eyes sting as the gut wrenching realization came. It was too late. There was nothing she could do to save this girl. _No! I can't give up! I can't…_

A small, wet cough broke Belldandy from her thoughts. Looking down, she saw that the young Goddess had opened her eyes, looking sadly at the person trying to save her. Bell leaned forward, lip trembling and tears streaking her cheeks, as the girl tried to speak. She gently smoothed the dying Goddess' blood soaked hair as she told the girl in a strained voice, "It's alright, I'm here."

Barely a whisper, Belldandy very nearly had her ear to the girl's lips to hear one word escape her mouth. "Xan…der…"

Sitting back up, with her hands in her lap, she wished with all she had that she could have done more. Looking at the blood flecked face of her young friend, she began to weep. Reaching forward, she gently passed her hand over the dead Celestial's eyes, closing them for the last time. She shook with each stifled cry as she tried to smooth the bloodstained robes, only to tightly grip them in her fists as her grief overtook her. Her tears flowed freely, dripping over the still heart of the slain Goddess.

"Sephiroth." The Chancellor's voice echoed through the clockwork machinery. "I am placing you under arrest in the name of the High Council of Heaven. You are charged with high treason and with the murder of Goddess First Class Ex."

* * *

A/N:

I've received almost fifty reviews for Zankoku! I'm very pleased with this response, especially since it's been so positive. I guess I'm doing something right.

NavyPolice83: Since so much is going on right now in the story, it's almost impossible to keep things from slowing down without ignoring many of the characters. Also, I think a little bit of slowdown can make later action scenes seem more dramatic. I don't want to slow down too much, though, so let me know if things start to get dull.

(): As always, thank you for you generous review! Always happy to hear the word 'fantastic' used to describe your work! _Wanders off to deflate head_

Of course, thank you to my other two reviewers (LunaticPandora1 and Mangaka in Training), whom I have replied to directly on their comments. I'm happy to hear from you!

And to all my other readers out there, thank you for reading! I love to hear from you guys, so don't be timid. Throw a comment my way and let me know what you think!

See you all next chapter!

Katamari Damacy


	18. Arc II Chap 08 Shadows

Arc II: Chapter 08

Shadows

"What?" Keiichi couldn't believe what he had just heard.

Marler's mouth twisted into a more intense frown. "I said that Sephiroth was arrested as a traitor to Heaven."

"You can't be serious." The Demon's silence answered him as well as anything she could have said. His mind reeled at the very idea. Sephiroth, the God whose life he had helped to save, was the traitor who started all this? "Are they sure? I mean, they're sure it's him?"

"I assume that they're pretty damn sure." Crossing her arms, she leaned against the wall of the tea room. "They wouldn't have arrested him if they didn't have the evidence to back it up."

Keiichi set his tea down, completely forgetting that he had made it. "I can't believe this. He's one of the most powerful Gods in Heaven, right? We all trusted him so much." Turning his head, he asked the Demon directly, "How could he betray everyone like this?"

"Who knows?" She shrugged her shoulders, idly looking at the far wall. "I think it took everyone by surprise. Urd sure as hell didn't see it coming."

He winced at the mention of Urd's name. He wasn't sure what the white haired Goddess really thought of Sephiroth, but he was pretty sure that she at least thought of him as a friend. _Well, maybe friend isn't the right word, but something like that._

"Have you told her?"

"I wish I hadn't," she replied. "She…well, she didn't take it very well."

The human nodded slowly. "I can imagine. I'm surprised the temple's still here."

"You don't know the half of it," Marler sighed. "She called Heaven as soon as I told her. Nobody would give her any information about what had happened. All they would say is that he was being tried for treason and murder."

"Murder?" He looked at the blond in surprise. "What murder?"

"I didn't tell you?" Keiichi shook his head negative. "They say he murdered a Goddess inside Yggdrasil, one of Urd's friends from when she was the system administrator, no less."

"Oh my God." Keiichi's unintended pun was lost on both of them. "How is she now?"

"Well, she went nuts after that," Marler winced at the memory. "Keos distracted her while I knocked her out with polka music. I'm just glad that she didn't have Masamune with her, or else we might never have stopped her."

"So that's what happened to the entryway," he said, scratching the back of his head uneasily. "I guess it's a good thing Megumi and I were working with Chihiro when all this happened."

She nodded, and the two sat there in silence for several minutes. Keiichi found himself fighting off a feeling of depression as he thought of this latest turn in events. Urd, the leader of the Celestials in Nekomi, was going to be out of the action for who knew how long. Sephiroth, someone he would hardly have suspected, had been allied with the Cruel Angel from the beginning. Who knew how that would affect the Templars?

As if that wasn't bad enough, it was beginning to look as though the enemy was starting to use normal humans to attack them from within. Either that, or there was a group of humans out there somewhere who simply wanted to attack Nekomi for whatever reason. He wasn't sure which was worse.

Things just didn't seem to be looking very bright.

* * *

Ergaddas ran his hand over his face before looking up at his friend again. "So what now?"

The pair was atop the most recently constructed windmill, high above the city. Keos had brought his fellow Templar there to be away from the other Celestials. As he sat atop the railing around the catwalk, his eyes wandered to the large revolving blades as they swooped in and out of view.

"I don't know," Keos answered truthfully. "This is going to be rough, however we handle it. I can't put any more strain on Lady Urd than she's already under, so whatever we do, we can't bother her with it. I was hoping maybe you'd have some ideas."

Leaning against the opposite rail, Ergaddas sighed as he shook his head. "I wouldn't even know where to start. This is going to hit a lot of the men pretty hard. Maybe we can come up with something to take their minds off things?"

He nodded in assent. "Yeah, but we can't just ignore this. We've got to address Sephiroth's arrest or everyone's going to start coming up with their own ideas. What are we going to tell them when we don't really know what happened? How do we keep them from loosing morale?"

Both men scowled in thought, the only sound was the whirr of the electrical generator beside them. Keos turned the problem over in his mind, struggling to figure out a solution, but nothing came to mind.

"Maybe we're looking at this the wrong way," Ergaddas spoke up suddenly. "What if there's no real way to spin this to our advantage? What are we left with?"

Keos considered this for a moment. "Well, all we'd have then is a bunch of Templars who are going to wonder if their trust in their leaders is misplaced. A large chunk of our best warriors have been taken out of the picture. Their heroes are either dead or disgraced."

The other Templar flashed an eager grin. "So why don't we make new heroes?"

He looked at the man like he was crazy. _How the hell do you make a hero? _ Then it hit him, and the genius of the idea became clear. "Yeah. Yeah, that's brilliant, Erg!" Hopping off the rail, he moved quickly to his friend, grasping his shoulders. "What would I ever do without you?"

Ergaddas shrugged, "Well, you'd probably make an idiot out of yourself, fearless leader." Keos chuckled briefly as he began to pace around the platform, the gears of his mind turning furiously. "So how exactly are we going to do this?"

Keos continued his pacing for a few more seconds, looking quite excited. Suddenly he stopped, turning to his friend. "Simple. We hit the Cruel Angel back. Pay him in kind for all the hell we've been through, and give the men their chance at glory."

"But we've been forbidden to mount any serious offensives by the High Council," Erg stated, shaking his head. "How're we gonna do it without getting reprimanded?"

"We won't be making any big offensives," the Templar leader grinned slyly. "We'll reduce the size of the patrols, and set up some skirmisher teams. Maybe three or four Templars per unit, they go out for a day or two at a time."

Erg nodded. "They have more time, so they can go deeper into enemy territory. Hit and run tactics, ambushes, thin out and harass the enemy before they get anywhere near us."

"Right." Keos clapped the other God on the shoulder. "Rather than waiting to defend against the raiders, we take the fight to them and become raiders ourselves. Templar tactics are, after all, offensive by nature."

* * *

Odin sighed tiredly as he poured two drinks. The first was a stiff shot of an old, woody-flavored whiskey. The second was a carefully prepared glass of warm milk with honey.

"I don't understand," Belldandy lamented as the old Templar approached the table by the fire. "He didn't seem like a bad person at all."

Sitting down with a grunt, he slid her glass over, receiving a forced smile in return. He stared at his own drink for a moment, but wasn't really looking at it. "Lass, I understand how ye feel. I looked at 'is record, and tha lad was an extraordinary Templar. No one expected tha traitor ta be someone like 'im."

"Uncle Odin," her voice was quiet as she swirled the milk around in its glass, "what do you think? Do you believe Sephiroth really did all those things?"

"I really canna say, lass," he replied, glancing at the burning logs in the fireplace. "I jus dunna know. I do know one thin', though, and that's that somebody in Heaven's a traitor, an' all tha signs are pointin' at 'im."

Bell set the glass back down, folding her hands on her lap. "I just can't bring myself to believe that he could be the one."

"Belldandy, I talked ta Daedalus a couple hours ago. He said Sephiroth was a lone wolf, tha' nobody really knew 'im. Someone like 'im coulda been plannin' this fer years and no one wouldah been tha wiser."

"No." Her voice shook with emotion as she leaned forward, hands on the table. Odin was a bit surprised at such an aggressive posture being taken by the Goddess. "I won't believe he's capable of such atrocities! I talked with him!" He could see the conflict in her eyes. She wanted so badly to believe in the goodness of this God, but reality was showing her something that she couldn't ignore. Her gaze lowered to the table as her voice softened. "I talked with him just an hour before Ex passed. It can't be what it seems. It can't."

Odin reached across the table, his hands easily covering hers. "Belldandy, it was ne up ta you ta see what woulda happened. Tha' young lass' death has nothing more ta do with you than tha fact tha ye were there ta see 'er off." He gave her a reassuring smile when she looked up at him. "There's no reason fer ye ta feel responsible, lass, and there's no reason ta waste yer time worryin' about Sephiroth. He'll get ah fair trial, and if he's innocent, then he'll go free."

They sat in silence for a few seconds before she spoke. "But if they find him guilty, they may actually execute him." He had nothing to respond with. The High Council was going to decide the punishment before the trial even began. He knew that most citizens of Heaven had already decided what the outcome would be, so he wondered if the trial really would be fair. Obviously Belldandy was worried about the same thing.

He felt her squeeze his hands gently as she gave a half hearted smile. "Thank you, Uncle Odin. I'm a little tired, so I think I'll go home and rest now." She stood and gave him a hug before she turned and quietly left the pub.

He sat there for several minutes, listening idly to the soft crackling of the fire. Looking down, the grey bearded God noticed his forgotten glass of whiskey. He had intended to savor it, hoping that it would calm his restless spirit, but he downed it quickly in a few gulps instead. Taking a deep breath afterward, he leaned back in the wooden chair.

_I canna do anythin' like this. This is hurtin everyone, and all I can do is sit here an' tend an empty bar._ Thinking about Sephiroth, and how much his arrest had affected the Goddess who had just left, his thoughts turned to Urd and all the Templars back on Earth. He wondered just how well they were taking this news. "Prolly no better than Bell is."

Looking again at his empty glass, he slowly got up and moved over to the bar. Setting the empty vessel on the counter, his eyes wandered up to a shelf above all the bottles on the back wall. A large helmet sat proudly, though a bit tarnished. A pair of antlers protruded from both sides, spanning almost half a meter from tip to tip. He stared at the ancient piece of armor that he once wore into battle for a few moments before a heavy sigh escaped his lips.

"I suppose there's no way aroun' it. Looks like this ol' God's gonna hafta come outta retirement."

* * *

She heard the door slide quietly. Her eyes moved to see Keiichi peering in warily, offering her a troubled smile as he entered. She wasn't sure if she was in the mood to talk to anyone, but she didn't move to shoo him away. The Goddess merely sat there, as she had for several hours, quietly hugging her knees.

He drew up a few paces short of her. "Would you mind a little company?"

Urd didn't say anything, nor did she look at him. Even so, the human sat cross-legged against the wall beside her. He was silent for a few moments, apparently trying to decide what to say. "If…well, if you feel like talking about it, I'll be here. Just think of me like a brother."

Normally she would have made a remark like 'Don't you mean brother-in-law?', but the thought didn't even occur to her. Instead she just looked at him, expressionless, her voice dull and pained. "How could this happen, Kei? I trusted him. I healed him again and again. I thought…I thought maybe I was getting through."

Keiichi turned from her gaze. "No one saw this coming, Urd. He fooled us all, even the Templars who've served with him for who knows how long. There was no reason for you to suspect him."

"You don't understand," it was almost a whisper as she shook her head. "I would have just as soon suspected Peorth or Keos was the traitor. It's just not possible."

"Well, at least it wasn't me, right?" Urd couldn't help but let out a small laugh at his stupid joke. She saw the faint color in his cheeks as he grinned at her response.

Leaning her head back against the wall, the small smile lingered on her lips. "Keiichi, I don't know what I should do." He seemed surprised by her words, staring blankly at her. "If someone that I trusted, that I believed in, could betray us…"

"It's got nothing to do with you!" The sudden conviction in his voice startled her a little. "It's not your fault for trusting Sephiroth, it's his fault for throwing that trust away! You shouldn't let his actions affect your belief in others." His eyes were intense, clear of any doubt. He knew he was right, and deep down, she knew he was right, too.

Reaching over, she grasped his hand in hers and squeezed. "Thanks, Kei." She let it go when his cheeks went red.

"So, uh, what's going to happen to him?"

"Keos said that the Council might order his execution," she replied grimly. "It'd be the first time that they've handed such a punishment down, as far as I know. It's not like there's a precedent for this. No one's ever caused so much death and destruction before. As soon as the trial is over, they'll kill him."

There was another uncomfortable silence between them. "It's been a pretty long day, hasn't it? I can bring you some sake if you want."

Urd looked at the dark haired young man beside her with an odd smile. _Keiichi's actually offering me alcohol? Do I really have him that worried? _"It's alright, sweetie pie." She leaned over, wrapping her arms around his neck. She could feel his body tense as she pulled him close. As her lips brushed lightly against his ear, she whispered in her most seductive tone, "It's nice to know that you care so much about me."

Giggling playfully, she floated across the room, leaving him on the floor in total shock. Moving into the hallway, she blew him a kiss before sliding the door shut and letting the façade disappear. She sighed, letting her head rest against the door. _I don't think I can keep this sort of thing up for very long._

Straightening upright, she squared her shoulders and clenched her fist before her. _No, people are depending on me. I have to keep it up as long as it takes. I have to be strong._ Steeling herself, she marched down the hall, through the tea room, and outside.

Taking a deep breath of the cold air, she felt a little energized. Smiling a little at the broken clouds, she looked at the rays of sunlight shining down on Nekomi. _You have to put this out of your mind. If he really is the traitor, then he'll get what he deserves._

The wind picked up rather sharply, whipping her dark purple outfit around her legs, which was the only place that her clothes had enough slack to do so. Bringing a hand up just to keep the white hair out of her eyes, she felt something in the currents that were wreaking havoc with her appearance. Looking up, she saw a small bead of blue light above the temple grounds. _The next gate wasn't supposed to be until later tonight. What the hell are they doing?_

Some of the Templars were making their way over as the gate took shape, wondering why it was so early. Marler and Keiichi came out of the temple, too, drawn by the commotion. The annoyed Demon had to speak up to be heard over the near gale. "What's going on, Urd? Why the hell is such a big gate opening so close to the surface?"

Urd was about to answer that she didn't have a clue when she saw a large form emerge from the portal. Everyone stared in wonder as the form made its slow descent. The winds finally died down and the gate vanished as it touched down, facing away from her.

It was a God, a large one. He was dressed in old plate mail armor that had been buffed to a shine. Across his broad shoulders was strapped a huge, thick scimitar. Two great antlers protruded from either side of the shined helmet. As he turned, she could see his grey beard and wrinkled face. A large grin coming over his face, he covered the distance between Urd and himself in just a few massive steps.

The Goddess couldn't decide if she was seeing things or not. She could only stare at the bear of a God as he stopped in front of her, towering over her by nearly half a meter. _Could it really be him? _"Uh…Uncle Odin?"

His smile grew larger, causing still more wrinkles to appear on his worn face. "I'm happy tha' ye still remember me, lass."

Feeling genuinely happy for the first time all day, she hugged the old Templar tightly, which he returned with gusto. She felt several vertebrae pop before they finally pulled apart. Looking at the face of the God who covered for her mischief more than once when she was younger, the obvious finally occurred to her. "Uncle Odin, what are you doing here? I'm glad to see you and all, but you've been retired since before I knew you."

The smile faded quickly. "I'm ere ta take over command o' tha forces ere in Nekomi."

"What?" Her voice echoed like a shotgun blast. Urd had to take a couple of seconds to compose herself as she tried to keep her temper in front of the elder God. "I haven't done anything wrong! This town is as secure as it ever was! How can they just take me out like this?"

Odin placed a large hand on her shoulder, speaking to her calmly. "It's jus for a little while, lass. Ye've been doin a great job, and nobody's gonna say otherwise where I can hear. But ye've had a lot on yer plate for a long time. Jus take some time to yerself. Relax a while and let ol' Uncle Odin take care o' things."

Urd hated it, but she knew he was right. She had felt the pressures taking their toll on her for a while. Besides, he was doing this for her sake. She didn't want to disappoint him. "Alright," she relented with a small smile. "You have command." She pointed a finger at him, suddenly looking very stern. "But just for a little while! I want my town back in a week!"

His surprise at her finger turned into a huge guffaw. "Alrigh, lassie! Evrythin'll be as good as ya left it."

"Deal!" She smiled at him, pulling on his hand and leading the old God into the temple. "Let me show you around. You'll be living here for a while, so you might as well get to know where everything is."

As the two entered the main house, everyone in the yard watched with slack jaws. The Templars were taken aback by the fact that Lord Odin, the First Templar himself, was going to be their commander. Marler was dazed that the legendary warrior was still alive and well so many years after he was last seen by the Demons.

Keiichi found it odd that such a huge God could possibly be related to Belldandy and her sisters.

* * *

The sun shone through the dark clouds sporadically, light shining down like beams from Heaven, illuminating patches of the ravaged Earth below and giving a bit of a reddish-orange shade to the land. Looking at it, most would think it a portrait of Hell. The ruined steel skeletons of buildings reached out of the rubble, refusing to admit that their time had passed. Crushed cars poked out of the debris here and there. Once loved toys lay scattered and broken on bits of concrete, a sad testament of the young ones who died on these lands.

In the midst of all this destruction a single thing stood, casting a shadow over half of the city's remains. Some of the humans that occupied this landlocked vessel stood watch on what had once been the flight deck. They scanned the rubble around them with binoculars and the naked eye, standing ready to defend their new home at a moment's notice.

On the right side of the flight deck stood a large tower, several stories higher than the rest of the ship. The numbers 65 were painted in large, white block lettering on the side, designating this ship as the USS Enterprise. Atop this tower the American flag still flew proudly from a broken radio antennae.

Gil silently watched the scenery from an observation deck just below the flapping ensign, trying in vain to keep his cloak from doing the same. He eventually gave up trying to control his outer garment, accepting icy wind as it chilled him through his tunic. His long hair tried to follow it, but thankfully it at least remained clear of his eyes.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Gilgamesh looked across the metal walkway to his right. Admiral Garland, dressed in a thick coat, was puffing on an old wooden pipe as he slowly strode over to the rail beside the God. He, too, looked out at the horizon.

"Where is Skuld?" The Templar spoke curtly to the old man. "She was supposed to be with you."

"She wouldn't leave the engineering area," he replied with an amused grin. "When she found out our remaining reactors weren't operating at normal levels, she made it her business to fix the problem. Our engineers have been working on the problem since the ship settled here, and she told us that she'd have it done by morning."

The Celestial nodded to himself. _Yeah, that definitely sounds like Skuld. I guess I should go down later to see if I can help any. It'd be nice if we could get at least a little sleep before we head back tomorrow._

"So what were you thinking about, Mr. Gilgamesh?"

He studied the old man for several seconds before responding. "I was thinking about my friend, Xander. He was killed about a month ago, when the Templars made an unsuccessful attack on the Cruel Angel."

"What was he like, if you don't mind me asking?" He created another puff of smoke as he spoke.

Gil, who was still aggravated from the incident hours earlier, let a little more of his irritation show than he meant to. "Why do you want to know?"

Garland took the pipe from his mouth, letting another stream of white escape his lips. "I have lost friends over the years, in war and in peace. It may not mean much, but I think this old sea dog can empathize with you."

The Templar turned his gaze to the broken sunlight streaking across the sky. "I knew him since we were kids. He was two years older than me, but we still played together. I'm an only child, so I thought of him like an older brother. He taught me most of what I know." He cracked a small smile. "Most of it he showed me before I was supposed to know it." _It's odd. It hasn't been that long since he died, but it doesn't hurt so bad anymore when I think about him._

"He was trying to teach me a program once." The God chuckled in spite of himself. "He hadn't even learned how to do it properly himself yet, and he was trying to show me. I can't remember what it was supposed to be anymore, but we screwed it up, whatever it was. While he was 'demonstrating the proper form of the program,' he made a mistake. He accidentally activated a transfiguration program," Gil was laughing outright now, "and turned himself into a chicken."

Garland watched the God with heartily amused smile. "A chicken, hmm?" As he began to puff once more on his pipe, the Admiral shook his head. All this would have been a children's story to him when he awoke that morning. "So what happened? Did you figure out how to change him back, or did you have to take him to your teachers?"

Gil slowed his laughter with difficulty. "Well, I remembered that a chicken was the easiest thing to transfigure, so I thought I could do it myself."

"Why would a chicken be the easiest?"

The young warrior took the interruption in stride. "You know how chicken tastes like almost everything?" The human didn't seem to know how to take that statement, but nodded all the same. "It has something to do with that. I don't know that I could really explain it since we Templars don't get much training in things like that. It doesn't help our fighting prowess much. Needless to say, I knew even less about transfiguration back then."

Another cloud of smoke was quickly dispersed by the wind. "Didn't work out as planned, eh?"

"Yeah, well," the God shook his head, still smiling. "Like I said, Templars tend to focus on fighting. When I tried to change him back to normal, I accidentally reverted back to an attack program." Gilgamesh started to laugh again, doing his best to continue. "Feathers went everywhere. Xander went soaring out of the classroom, beating his wings and clucking like mad." Unable to contain himself any more, Gil leaned forward on the rail to support himself as he cracked up. The laughter proved contagious, as the Admiral had to remove his pipe for fear of it falling to the deck.

The two men continued for almost a full minute. The young God and old human stood in the dying sun, holding their sides as they caught their breath. "When Xander flew out the door," Gil continued as he wiped the tears from his eyes, "he ran straight into a young Goddess in training. Scared the heck out of her, coming out of nowhere like that.

"Since their not warriors by trade, they had a much broader range of less martial skills. When I told her what was going on, she agreed to change him back." His smile slowly turned bittersweet, his voice growing quieter as he spoke. "We were lucky she did, cause there was no telling what would have happened to us if our teachers had found out."

Those moments replayed in his mind again, then again. _That was how we met Ex. She thought it was so funny that Xander had made himself a chicken. She started to hang out with us just to see what other kind of trouble we'd get ourselves into. Who would've guessed she'd fall for a guy she met as a fowl? _

His eyes refocused on the horizon as twilight began to settle. He thought of Ex, wondering how she was doing.

Atop the broken antennae, standing silently above the waving Stars and Stripes, was a figure dressed in black. His dark hooded cloak concealed all but an unsettling smirk as he watched the human and God.

Their conversation had been too easy to overhear. The figure waited patiently, listening to all that was said, though the only thing he had really been interested in was said near the beginning. He quietly watched as, after some time had passed, the two men went back inside the ship.

Floating like a feather, he touched down gracefully on the deck, seeming to look toward the closed hatch where Gilgamesh and the human had gone inside. "So, young Skuld is on this ship. I hadn't expected her to fall into my hands so quickly. This works out well for us. Master will be pleased, and my own plans will be accelerated." The black folds of the hood turned up to the sky. "Belldandy, I'll see you again soon."

The cloak whipped around furiously as the wind gusted, and with that, the figure disappeared.

* * *

A/N:

I have to admit, I didn't like this chapter. I don't know why, I just don't. I made some changes and all, but it still didn't feel quite the way I wanted. Maybe you guys can figure it out, cause I can't.

I did, I think, manage to reduce the angst-factor for Gilgamesh. I'm pleased with that, at least.

(): The part with Chihiro was new. Glad to hear you liked it.

Alpha197: Happy to hear from someone new, especially from a fellow armed forces member. I'm a Marine myself, hence their part in the story. With all the damages to infrastructure throughout the world, I'm not sure any Air Force guys will be swooping in out of the sky, but I may be able to work them in eventually. You'll have to be patient for that, though. It'll be a wile before I get that chance.

To LunaticPandora, Mangaka, and Avielus, I should have already responded to you guys. Thanks for continuing to send me reviews. I am most grateful.

That's all I've got for now. Hope you liked it!

Katamari Damacy


	19. Arc II Chap 09 By the Sword

_Arc II: Chapter 09_

_By the Sword_

The Great Hall of the Council of Heaven was large by any standards. The massive room easily held the entire Council within its gilded walls with a great deal of room to spare. Today, however, it was standing room only. The hall was filled with not only the entire Council, but numerous spectators who happened to have time away from work. No one wanted to miss this historic event.

"Bring in the accused." Chancellor Marduk's voice echoed throughout the room.

The large wooden doors at the end of the hall, nearly as tall as the vaulted ceiling itself, slowly opened with a creak. Everyone watched as the black clothed form of Sephiroth appeared. As he stepped forward into the chamber, all present were silent. The only sounds were of footsteps on the ornate marble floor, steps of the accused and the escort who flanked him, none other than Lord Commander Daedalus himself.

During the long walk across the hall, no emotions could be discerned on the face of the man who had come to be known as the One Winged Angel. It was a reference not only to his injury, but also to the now common belief that he had indeed aided the Cruel Angel. They now watched the disgraced Templar, his wrists bound with a restraining program, as he marched toward the platform at the front of the hall. His eyes never wavered from the three Celestials who sat on this platform, waiting to pass judgment on him.

Stopping in the center of an ornate circular pattern on the floor, Daedalus taking his position to the side, the white haired God stood alone before the Council, watching the three senior members who comprised his tribunal.

Marduk, sitting in the center seat, leaned forward. "State your name."

He responded with a powerful voice that resonated throughout the Great Hall. "I am Sephiroth, Templar of the First Order, Special Class, and Commander of the Armies of Nekomi." Some shuffling could be heard from the audience.

The God to Marduk's right, Council Member Oberon, spoke up with reserved disdain. "You are no longer in command of anyone, Sephiroth, nor are you given the privilege of rank within the Templar Order." The accused scowled at Oberon as he heard this.

The third member of the tribunal, the Goddess Althena, calmly explained. "Due to the serious nature of the charges brought against you, it has been decided in a full Council vote that you be stripped of your rank and title for the duration of the trial. If you are found innocent, you will be reinstated with an apology from the Council."

Sephiroth studied the Celestials on the raised platform as the Chancellor spoke again. "This tribunal is now underway."

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"I'm sorry I didn't have enough time to fix anything else, Admiral," she spoke apologetically.

"You have done more than enough already, Miss Skuld," Garland assured her. "Thanks to you, two of our reactors are back to full capacity. I guess we won't have any trouble keeping our people warm for Christmas." Some of the humans who had gathered to see them off grinned at his remark.

The young Goddess blushed as she stared at the flight deck. "It wasn't any big deal or anything. I'm just happy I could help out. Besides, I always wanted to work on a nuclear reactor! I read a lot about them, but I've never had the chance to actually see one until I came here!"

Garland's face turned very pale indeed, as did most of the other officers and guards present. "You mean to say, you had never even seen a reactor before, and you worked on ours?" If Skuld had been able to read minds, she would have seen visions of mushroom clouds appear in their heads.

Gilgamesh interjected before she said anything else, "It's time to go, Skuld. We need to get this information back to Nekomi." She was glad for the interruption, since she wasn't sure how to explain to the humans that they had never been in any _real_ danger of a meltdown.

"Yeah, I suppose we should get going. Thanks again for your cooperation, Admiral." She bowed respectfully to them. "Good luck to all of you."

Gil walked up to Garland, and the two simply stared at one another for a few seconds. Suddenly, the Templar brought his heels together, raising his right hand to his eyebrow in a military salute. The old Admiral smiled and returned it, all the other humans following suit.

Lowering his hand in a crisp motion, the God turned and floated off the deck. Skuld smiled and waved one last time before flying off after him. "I'm glad to see you two are on friendly terms now," she nudged him with her arm as they flew toward the ocean. "He was really nice to me."

"We aren't friendly," he said dryly. "It's just a professional respect."

"Sure, Gil," she responded with a knowing look.

He glanced at her with mock annoyance. "Anyway, are you ready to teleport us back to Nekomi when we get to the shore?"

"Of course," she beamed. Skuld was quite pleased that she was able to do something that he wasn't. "We'll be back home before you know it! I can't wait to see my sisters again. Maybe even Keiichi, too." Her face suddenly turned menacing as a thunderhead on the horizon. "He'd better have the ice cream that he promised me!"

Turning back to Gil, she saw that he was looking at her with a barely contained smile. They both broke into laughter at her nearly serious threat toward Keiichi. Their amusement was interrupted, however, as was their forward flight when something flew up from the rubble below. The Templar had his sword out in an instant and positioned himself in front of the Goddess.

Looking over his shoulder, she could see that it was a humanoid form, concealed beneath a hooded black cloak. She couldn't see a face, but it felt like it was looking right at her.

"I have no business with you, Templar Gilgamesh," the form spoke slowly. "Leave young Skuld to me, and I will let you leave this place alive."

The Goddess felt a chill run down her spine as she heard the man speak. Something about him gave her the creeps. Gilgamesh, however, seemed unperturbed. "If you want Skuld, then you most definitely have business with me."

The mysterious figure gave an amused huff. "I must admit, I didn't expect you to turn tail so easily. It would have been rude not to offer, though, wouldn't you agree?"

"Spare me your fake civilities," Gil snapped at him. "How do you know who we are, and what do you want with her?"

"Well, what I want with her is my own business." Skuld found herself grasping for a bomb from her pocket, again feeling as if she was being looked at from beneath that dark hood. "As for how I know who you are, you'd be surprised at just how much I am aware of. I know all about Skuld, and her sisters, Belldandy and Urd. I know about you, Gilgamesh, and about your 'big brother' Xander. I met with him last week, as a matter of fact. He is thoroughly enjoying his role as a servant of the Cruel Angel."

A gust of wind abruptly pushed her back. She struggled to keep herself upright as Gil's power exploded outward in the form of two feathery, white wings. He screamed in anger, rushing his target. "You bastard!"

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The Goddess set the phone down gently. "The trial has started."

"Seriously, Urd," Marler said as they returned to the tea room, "you need to stop thinking about this all the time. Try to take your mind off this for five minutes, for Pete's sake. Let's play some Mario Kart or something."

"I don't think so," she replied with a half hearted smile. "Thanks for trying to cheer me up, though."

"Cheer you up?" The blond snorted. "I just want you to stop moping around. It's frickin' depressing! Let's at least get out of here for a while, go fly around for a few hours. Get some fresh air and some new scenery." Snapping her fingers suddenly, she looked at Urd with an energy she hadn't displayed all morning. "Maybe we'll see a few of those monsters wandering around! A good fight is just the thing you need!"

Urd thought it over for a few moments, seeming more and more pleased with the idea. "Maybe you're right, Marler." A devilish grin appeared as she clenched a fist eagerly in front of her. "Let's go hunt some bad guys!"

The Goddess was acting excited for the first time in days. Marler hesitated, watching Urd move toward the door, before voicing something that she knew had to be addressed. "Why don't you bring Masamune along?" Urd stopped cold, her hand hovering centimeters from the door. She had started avoiding the sword that Sephiroth had given her when they first heard about his arrest. In fact, the last time she had even touched it was hours before they all found out about the betrayal. _She just doesn't want to have to talk with it about Sephiroth._ "If we're going to go out and fight, we need to be as ready as we can be," she told the white haired Goddess. "Masamune is yours now. If you don't want to talk about _him_, then just tell it that."

Her shoulders slumped a bit in defeat, begrudgingly nodding. "I guess you're right," she sighed. Marler followed her old friend back to Urd's room, and watched her as she moved to the corner. She stared at the Masamune as it leaned in the corner, where she had casually placed it days before. Steadying herself, as if she were about to leap into a pool of ice cold water, she reached forward and curled her fingers around the glossy black sheath.

Almost jumping at the alarmed reaction Urd suddenly gave, she rushed over to the other woman. "What's wrong?"

"What?"

"I said, what's wrong?" Marler repeated.

"Not you," Urd said quickly, not even looking at her companion. "I was talking to Masamune."

Crossing her arms, Marler huffed indignantly. "Well, excuse me."

Staring intently at the sword in her hand, the Goddess kept nodding and mumbling to it for several minutes. Marler was getting impatient with their secret conversation, but didn't say anything. She knew that it was more trouble than it was worth to interrupt Urd when she had such a serious look on her face. The Demon was leaning against the wall and in the middle of a long yawn when Urd spun around.

"Alright," she said, jolting Marler from her wandering thoughts.

The blond was just finishing her yawn as she moved forward. "So you two are finally ready to go?"

She looked over at Marler as if she had forgotten their plans. "Oh, sorry. I have…I have something I have to do."

"Like what?" She watched in disbelief as she watched the Goddess move across the room and turn on the television. "You gotta be kidding me. Now you just want to sit and watch TV? We've watched all those videos a million times!"

"Marler," Urd spoke softly, an intense look in her eyes. "Bell and Skuld will be getting here any time now. Tell them…tell them that I'm sorry, and that I love them both."

"Huh?" She could feel her jaw go slack. "What the hell are you talking about, Urd? What are you doing?"

She could only watch as the Goddess of the Past began to float feet first into the glowing television screen. "Thanks, Marler, and don't forget who won the last time we played Tetris!" With that she, and the Masamune, disappeared.

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"When the investigators discovered the connections between the Cruel Angel and the accused," Oberon orated loudly, "they began to delve into his background to determine why he would have done such a thing, and they uncovered several interesting facts. It seems that while Sephiroth's father was a Celestial, and in good standing in Heaven, he fell in love with an Earth woman. A human mother bore Sephiroth into existence." There was a flurry of hushed voices at this.

Sephiroth was becoming more and more irritated as the trial went forward. "That is irrelevant. There are many Celestials serving honorably in Heaven who are half human, and my origins are no secret to anyone."

"The Celestials you speak of all had Goddesses for mothers," came the calm voice of Althena. "It has been suspected for generations that those born of human mothers are…unstable. They seem far more likely to commit evil acts." More members of the audience were speaking quietly, the buzz becoming louder than before.

"This is your proof against me?" The anger in his green eyes was quite obvious to all. "Half truths and unproven theories?"

Oberon boomed over the buzz of the audience. "You will show proper respect to this tribunal, Sephiroth!"

"Please, let us be calm." Althena raised her voice only slightly to be heard over the din. "The accused has the right to point out perceived discrepancies in the prosecution of his case, and in this case, I believe he has a point. We must remember that while this does give more credence to the concept of Sephiroth's betrayal, it is hardly reliable evidence."

Marduk spoke up now, sounding puzzled about something. "Explain us how you were the only one to escape from the failed mission to stop the voices? Tell us about the mission where an entire team of our most powerful warriors was slaughtered by the Cruel Angel and his minions.

"I already explained the incident in the report I sent to Lord Commander Daedalus," he replied shortly. "It is in the Templar Archives and has already been entered into evidence."

"You will tell us what happened!" Oberon's voice flared with anger.

Sephiroth was silent for a few seconds before responding, slightly less venom in his words. "As I wrote in the report, we had gone into the mists on foot. The voices suddenly became louder, and within seconds we were being attacked from all sides by more enemies than I could count. Because I had taken point, I was cut off from my men early in the battle. I fought as hard as I could, hoping that the creatures would focus on me and give my men a chance to escape or at least regroup.

"The conflict went horribly, and I soon realized that my unit had been wiped out. I felt that I, too, would and should die there. By that time I was standing atop a pile of the dead creatures, still being overwhelmed by the sheer numbers of my enemy. They began to latch onto me, scratching and clawing, and one of them ripped my right wing from my body. In a rage, I used my most powerful attack program, which I believe was the flash noted by Lady Ceres in Yggdrasil's report of the incident. I don't know how many were killed by it, but they had been blown clear for that moment. Masamune suggested that I use the opportunity to extricate myself from the area and attack again from a better position. I managed to escape the horde, but once clear of the battle I found that I barely had the power to fly. I made my way back to Nekomi, hoping to go back when I was healed and take my revenge. I was too injured to make it back to the Temple, however, and was found by the human Keiichi Morisato. He returned me to the Celestial forces."

There was the usual quiet discussion of this new information coming from the audience as Sephiroth stared defiantly at the tribunal. When the murmurs died away and silence filled the massive room, Althena's soft-spoken words easily reached everyone's ears. "Sephiroth, how much do you know of the first war with the Cruel Angel?"

"Only that it happened," he responded, drawing a disbelieving snort from Oberon. "The rest of the information was always a closely guarded secret, and I was not authorized to know any more."

She nodded serenely as she listened, hardly showing any irritation at her fellow tribunal member's overt belligerence. "After the archives on this subject were turned over to the investigators, certain peculiarities became apparent with regards to the Cruel Angel's loyalists. That is to say, there were several Celestials who betrayed their own and served the Evil One." She paused for a dramatic moment, letting this new information sink in to those listening. Everyone in the hall was curious about where this would lead. "Every single God and Goddess who defected was maimed in some way by the Cruel Angel, both to prove devotion to him and to prevent that Celestial from ever being a part of Heaven again." The spectators nearly exploded at this revelation, but Sephiroth didn't wait for them to quiet down.

"You think I would willingly have my own wing ripped from me?" His green eyes flashed with anger as he looked up at his judges. "You said yourself that this was done to prevent the Celestial from returning to Heaven, but I did just that! I've been leading the fight to keep the enemy in check, and we've done just that!"

Oberon slammed his fist down on the table, instantly silencing the onlookers. "How stupid do you think we are? It's obvious that you led those Templars into a trap, designed to crush our strongest warriors from the start! You offered them us as sacrifices to your new master, but he demanded more to prove your loyalty, didn't he? Now you've been hindering our efforts and keeping our forces from gaining an advantage over our enemy! You are a traitor to Heaven and a lackey of the Cruel Angel!"

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A loud clang rang out through the air. Metal against metal, curved sword against straight sword. Gilgamesh and the cloaked man performed an intricate dance of strike and parry, dodge and counterstrike. Moving almost too fast for a normal human to see, the two inhuman characters darted over the broken skyline of a ruined city.

Another metallic clash resounded through the otherwise silent scene as the combatants paused for a moment, their blades pressed forcefully against each other. Gil grunted through clenched teeth, "I won't let you have her!"

A smile seemed to flash beneath the dark folds of cloth. "That's good! I haven't had a good workout like this in a long time!"

In the blink of an eye they parted, flying in opposite directions. It quickly turned into a chase as the figure streaked out over the huge waves of the briny deep, Gilgamesh close on his heels. They followed the surface of the angry ocean as the waves rolled and foamed, more than five meters from crest to trough. He wasn't sure if the spray behind them was due to their speed and proximity to the water, or if it was just the waves smashing into each other.

As they flew back over dry land, it was beginning to look as if they were trying to see who was fastest. The two bobbed and weaved around the rubble and debris as they struggled to gain an advantageous position over the other. Flying around and through the remains of once great buildings, Gil was almost caught off guard when the slash came at his head from behind a cracked pillar.

Inside the dark and dusty hulk of what had once been a ten story office building, they resumed their duel. Gil swung his no-dachi down, only to have it deflected to his left. The enemy's straight sword came thrusting in at his gut, and Gil could only leap into a dodge. Doing a cartwheel to his left in mid air, the weapon only managed to clip a feather from his wing. Twisting around, he slashed horizontally at the figure as he landed only to watch the man rise above it with a flurry of his cloak. Stepping back, Gil took a ready stance and watched his enemy, and was watched in return as the man stood on the ceiling, chuckling.

"You are very talented, Gilgamesh," the man pointed his sword at the God. "However, you must have realized by now that you can't beat me. Don't throw your life away."

"You sure like to talk." Gil struggled to keep his breathing even as he brought his sword low and to his right. The cloak still covered his enemy's face, but the rest of the black cloth had fallen away from his inverted form. The old armor might have been white or grey once, but was now covered in what looked like mildew. It had a peculiar circular design on the breastplate, something that seemed familiar, but he couldn't place it. "Why do you want Skuld so bad?"

"Because she is one of the Fates," he said triumphantly. "My Lord desires the vast powers that they possess, and I cannot deny my Master his desires."

"So what happens when you find out that they'll never serve the Cruel Angel?"

The figure's voice turned very cold. "The Master can be very…persuasive when he wants something, I can assure you of that."

In the blink of an eye, the warriors took flight again, leaving the building behind with blinding speed. Soaring back into the air, the two clashed once more and flew apart.

Quickly reversing his grip on the no-dachi, Gil brought his free hand up near his face. Chanting quickly, he felt his power flow forth. With a yell and forward thrust of his arm, he sent a ball of fire hurtling toward his opponent. The Templar expected his foe to dodge the attack, put himself in a bad position, and then Gil would end this. He was surprised when his enemy did exactly the opposite, stopping directly in the path of the attack program.

Putting a hand out in front of him, the dark warrior summoned a blue magic circle. The shield program easily deflected the hastily fired blast. The young God was stunned at what he saw. _That was one of our programs! Only Templars know how to summon that kind of shield! Who the hell…?_

His thoughts were halted as the shadowy figure flew through the dispersing fireball and was rapidly closing the distance between the two. Gil tried to maneuver away, to bring his weapon up to defend himself, but his distraction had lasted a fraction of a second too long.

Pain wracked his body as he was struck several times in rapid succession. His armor buckled and cracked away as the straight sword nearly destroyed the once protective suit. His head jarred painfully as punches and kicks to his head and neck came. Gil barely felt his wings disappear and only marginally realized that he was freefalling. Blood was getting in his eyes, but through it he could see the slightly blurred form of his enemy making a straight shot for the girl he was protecting.

_No! _Summoning all his strength, he managed to right himself. Gritting his teeth, the Templar flew as fast as he could, but knew it wasn't enough.

The young Goddess had been watching the entire fight, not moving far from where they had started. Gil could see the fear in her eyes as the cloaked figure rushed toward her. He could hear her scream incomprehensibly as she started to fling grenades at the man, but it hardly slowed him down. Helpless, he watched as his enemy overcame her feeble attempts to fend off her attacker. The dark warrior quickly, but almost gently, placed his hand over her face. The raven haired girl suddenly fell backward, resting limply on his arm.

"Let her _go!_" Gilgamesh screamed as loud as he ever had, trying to squeeze every last drop of power from his battered body. A force ball was charging in his hand, but his opponent was again too fast.

Spinning around to face the Templar, he spoke in a disappointed voice. "All too easy." Gil wasn't even able to tell what the attack was, let alone avoid it. It hit him almost the moment he realized it was coming. Groaning in pain, he could feel himself falling again. His blackened eyes tried to focus on the unconscious Goddess, but could not. Everything became a white haze as he heard the wind rush past him.

"Skuld…"

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Belldandy poked her head out of the large mirror hanging in her room. Looking around as her feet touched the floor, a smile appeared on her lips. Everything was exactly as she had left it a month ago. Walking slowly around her familiar domicile, she realized how much she missed being there.

She missed sleeping on her futon, which was now neatly folded and tucked away in the closet. She missed the small houseplant on the windowsill, which she always talked to when it was time to give it a drink of water. As she took stock of all these things, she saw a picture sitting out on her desk. Picking it up, she ran her hand over the smooth wood frame as she stared at the man she missed more than anything else.

Keiichi had an odd look on his face, not realizing that his picture was being taken until a few seconds later. He had his tongue out, licking an ice cream cone at an amusement park. Over his shoulder was an out of focus Urd, looking pleased with herself as she held another cone over her head. An angry Skuld could be seen jumping into the frame, reaching for her beloved sherbet.

She fondly ran her fingers across the picture, tracing the image of her beloved. _I'm finally going to see him again. All of us will be together again._

"Hello there, stranger."

She spun around, blue eyes seeming to glow in the soft light of the room. Trying to think of something to say, she found that her brain would not slow down enough to function properly. The warmth in her heart suddenly overwhelmed her, and tears began to stream down her cheeks. They stood there, staring into each other's souls for what seemed like a blissful eternity.

"Keiichi!" The Goddess, no longer able to hold herself back, flew across the room and into the dark haired human's waiting arms. They spun several times, laughing happily, before pulling each other into a tight embrace. "I missed you so much, my love!"

"I missed you, too, Bell." His voice was almost as full of emotion as hers. "I missed you more than words can say. I'm so glad you're back."

Still holding each other close, they pulled back enough to look at one another before leaning forward till their noses touched. "I'm sure that things here weren't too dull here with Urd to keep you company." His blush stated clearly that her suspicions had been correct. She giggled and kissed him lightly on the cheek. "I'll have to thank her for taking such good care of you for me!"

Taking his hand, she pulled him into the hall, searching for her big sister. Looking through each door, she saw the same rooms that she remembered, but each that she examined was empty. Finally pulling open the door marked 'Everyone's Tea Room', she saw a rather pleasantly unexpected sight.

Sitting at the table was Marler, drinking a cup of hot tea. That in and of itself wasn't that surprising, as she knew that the Demon had been living there. The surreal thing about the scene was that across the table was a huge God, outfitted in battle armor, who was enjoying his own cup.

"Marler? Uncle Odin?" Both looked up at the door, noticing the new arrival. The old Templar smiled broadly at the surprised look on her face.

"Ah, Belldandy!" Odin motioned for her and Keiichi to have a seat. "Come an 'ave some tea with us. Marler 'ere makes a thumpin good brew!"

Bell raised an eyebrow at the Demon. "I didn't know you could make tea."

"Well, I've kinda acquired a taste for it since I've been here," she replied. She wasn't sure, but Belldandy thought that Marler's cheeks might have turned a shade darker as she acted nonchalant. "Your boyfriend there has been helping me practice. He even helped revive me that one time."

"Revive?" Belldandy looked over to Keiichi, who was grinning awkwardly.

"Well, she didn't strain the tea well enough," he said with a small laugh. "She got a stem floating upright in the cup and she didn't notice."

"I see," she replied. Smiling at her, Bell placed a hand on her former nemesis' shoulder and settled down beside her. "Well, I'm glad that you're getting along with everyone so well, Marler."

"Well, not _everyone_," Marler corrected. Belldandy didn't quite understand, but Odin piped up to answer her unspoken question.

"Ya see, Marler ere and Keos, one o my Templars, ave been at each other like cats an dogs," he chuckled. "S'been goin on since long before I got here, an it don' seem ta be hurtin anythin. In fact, I think maybe they both enjoy playin their lil' games with each other."

All the cups on the table rattled as the Demon slammed her hands down. "That's a filthy lie! I hate that bastard and his stupid, 'Shut up, _Demon_!' and 'You don't know anything you stupid _Demon_!'" Marler's face was almost as red as her eyes, but Bell could see that agitation was very real.

She reached out and took the other woman's hand in her own, squeezing it gently. "It's alright, Marler. Uncle Odin was just playing a joke." She gave a meaningful glance to the old warrior, who suddenly began nodding.

"Er, yeah, yeah," he said a little too emphatically. "Jus a joke. Sides, with Keos out on his little monster hunt, you won't 'ave to put up with 'im for a couple a days!"

Looking as if she wished she hadn't made such a big deal about it, she pulled her hand free of Bell's grasp and crossed her arms in what looked suspiciously like a pout. "Whatever."

The Goddess smiled as she turned back to Keiichi. "So where is Urd? I've been anxious to see her again."

"You know, I haven't seen her since this morning," he furrowed his brow, wracking his brain for information.

"Ah, about Urd…" They all turned back to Marler, who looked more than a little out of sorts. Belldandy thought it might have been because of what they were just talking about, but she wasn't quite sure. "You see, I don't know _exactly_ where she went, but she wanted me to tell you something."

Belldandy was about to ask what it was, expecting an answer like 'I'll be out for the day.' Instead she was answered with the ring of the phone echoing from the hallway. Marler immediately leapt to her feet. "I'll get it!"

"You sit here and relax, Marler," Bell replied, rising up gracefully and gently nudging the blond back into her seat. "I've been gone for all this time while you've been helping out down here. I think answering a few phone calls for you is a good way to start contributing to the effort." The two men looked at her with amused grins as she left the room.

Reaching the old, black, rotary phone in the hallway, she picked up the receiver and answered cheerfully. "Hello? Morisato residence."

"Belldandy," came the voice. "Something odd is going on."

"What's wrong, Peorth?" she asked.

There was a brief pause. "Are Skuld and Gilgamesh there yet?"

She suddenly felt a pang of worry strike at the mention of her sister's name. "No, they aren't. What's going on?"

Peorth's quiet grumbling at this news could barely be heard through the receiver. When she finally explained, Bell could hear a small hesitation in her voice. "We just picked up a disturbance in the Yokusuka area, the same place Skuld went to. We're not sure, but it looked like we were picking up two separate energy readings, both Celestial. Skuld can't use her powers enough to even show up on our sensors, so there must be someone else there, but…"

The phone hit the floor with a clatter as Bell rushed back to the tea room. _Oh no! I shouldn't have let them go! I should have gone myself, I knew something was going to happen!_

"Keiichi!" She called out as she came to a halt in the doorway. "I have to go! I'm sorry, but Skuld may be in trouble!"

"What?" Odin stood up with a roar, nearly knocking over the table in the process. "What are ye talkin about, lass?"

"Peorth isn't sure, but she said that there was a large power signature where they're supposed to be," she quickly explained, the worry permeating her speech. "Something like that could be caused by a battle, isn't that right, Uncle?"

The old Templar seemed a bit taken aback, speaking a little more quietly as he considered it. "Well, I suppose. But it coulda jus been young Gilgamesh by imself. Yggdrasil's sensors aren't at peak power, ya know."

"I know, but I don't want to take that chance. I can't. I'm going to check on her," she stated firmly.

"Well, if tha lass is in trouble," Odin said, scratching his grey beard, "then I should be tha one ta go."

Marler, still seated, leaned back on her hands. "Then who's going to be in charge here? I don't know where Urd went and that other jerk is out playing hero with his friends."

Odin began to shake his head but Belldandy spoke first. "It's alright, Uncle," she said reassuringly, though her desire to get moving was still plain as day. "You don't have to worry about me. I'll be fine."

She felt Keiichi grab her hand tightly. "You can't. If it was a fight, then you'd be in danger. You can't go by yourself."

"I'll go with her."

Everyone looked over in surprise at Marler as she stood and stretched. Belldandy walked over to the woman who had been her opponent so many times before. "Are you sure, Marler?"

The Demon smiled faintly as she rustled her long blond hair. "You'd be a fool to go alone, and I wanted to get out of here for a while anyway. It'll keep my mind off things."

"What kind of things?" Keiichi asked.

"We'll talk about it when we get back," she replied evasively before looking at the Goddess. "Let's go."

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"After that, I removed the sword from her. The Lord Chancellor and Lord Commander Daedalus arrived shortly thereafter. Lady Belldandy did what she could for Lady Ex, but she was beyond help by that time."

Oberon, who had been acting as if he smelled something rancid through the entire narrative, threw his hands up in the air. "You continue to insult this tribunal, and even the entire Council of Heaven, with these obvious fabrications? I, for one, am sick of these lies!" Turning to the other two Celestials, he slammed his fist down. "I demand that this tribunal be brought to a conclusion, and a verdict be reached!"

Marduk sighed at his colleague's zealous attitude, turning to the more placid Goddess. "Lady Althena, what say you?"

"This has continued for long enough," she answered.

"Very well then, this trial is over," the Chancellor announced, folding his hands before him as he turned to his right and left. "Lord Oberon, what is your verdict?"

"Guilty," he stated flatly.

"Lady Althena, your verdict?"

"There has been a great deal of condemnation for this God since before the trial," she spoke calmly. "However, the evidence against him is far from complete. While I have doubts about his innocence, I have more doubts about his culpability. I say not guilty." The room exploded with the buzz of discussion. It seemed very few present shared her view.

Marduk looked at his hands, almost disappointed, before speaking. "I say guilty. Sephiroth?"

The white haired God stared defiantly at the Chancellor.

"By a vote of two to one, this tribunal finds you guilty on the charges of high treason and murder. By previous vote of the Council of Heaven, it has been decided that the crimes you have now been convicted of are punishable by death. This sentence is to be carried out immediately." Everyone in the chamber began whispering madly at the realization that they would be witness to the end of this God. Allowing it to go on for several seconds, Marduk raised his hand, bringing silence to the Great Hall once again. "Sephiroth, as the Chancellor of the High Council, I have decided to offer you a final choice in your life. You will be allowed to choose the hand that will end your life. Who do you wish to be your executioner?"

The room remained deathly quiet, the audience almost leaning forward in anticipation of whose name the traitor would call on. Sephiroth lowered his head in thought for almost half a minute before looking back up at his judges. "I choose Urd, Goddess First Class."

All the Celestials seated before him wore a look of surprise, even the usually stoic Athlena, who was the first to speak. "Lady Urd is not present. Please choose someone who is in attendance, or else the task will fall to Lord Daedalus."

"I am here."

Everyone in the hall turned to the great wooden doors through which Sephiroth had entered. Urd stood there, dressed a lavender combat uniform. It was form fitting and ornate, with gold designs running the length of the garment. Masamune was gripped tightly in her left hand, and she had an icy look that was focused at the other end of the room.

They all watched as she strode with purpose down the isle to the front. It was difficult to find anyone in Heaven who didn't know who she was on sight, she had been involved in so many major events and so much mischief that it was hard not to know her. However, her famed carefree attitude and less than serious style was what most associated with her name. This Urd was totally different.

As she neared the front of the chamber, her green eyes seemed to burn with a barely contained fury. Her face had changed from the usual playful smile to a vindictive scowl. As she approached the prisoner, everyone was looking at her with some degree of surprise. Everyone except Sephiroth.

Looking up at the tribunal, she spoke loudly enough to be heard by all. "I accept my role as executioner, Chancellor, if you will allow me." Her voice was as harsh as an arctic gale.

"Just one question, Lady Urd," Marduk asked her, curious. "Why are you, of all people, so willing to kill this God?"

"He betrayed my trust, and the trust of all Celestials," her heated words filling the hall. "He killed my friend, Ex. His actions caused the deaths of people I knew on Earth. He deserves to die by my hands. I will use the holy sword, Masamune, and I will see that justice is done."

"Hmmm, to die by his own sword," Oberon smiled at the irony of it. "How appropriate."

With a nod from the Chancellor, Urd gripped the handle of the huge sword, its sheath dissolving into nothingness. Turning to the condemned God she brought the sword to the ready, its length a hand's breadth from his brow. Daedalus stepped away, not wanting to be within range of the massive and famously deadly weapon.

"Do you remember, Sephiroth?" she asked. "Do you remember what you told me about your feelings on death the first time we met?" He watched her, nodding slightly. "Well you should know that I know now how true that was. Masamune has told me everything. I know the real you."

For the first time since he entered the Great Hall, Sephiroth's eyes widened in alarm. Most thought it was his fear of death finally showing itself. Oberon in particular seemed to be savoring the expression of the disgraced Templar, but it soon became obvious that it was something else entirely.

"Spirits of all things holy and righteous, I, Urd, summon your aid!" She had quickly lowered the Masamune to the side, forming a flurry of arcane patterns with her free hand. "Powers of Heaven and Earth, heed my call!"

By now looks of shock and uneasiness were forming on all those present. Even Marduk and Daedalus couldn't figure out just what program she was running, or what it was designed to do. The smell of ozone was permeating the air, and as the Goddess increased her power, everyone in the chamber unconsciously tried to move just a little further away.

Moving as swiftly as her hands would allow, the Goddess of the Past knelt, placing her hand flat on the stone floor and continued her chant. "Gather your tremendous might, and together we shall crush those who wish for evil!" The program became visible, showing the amazing power and complexity of her efforts. The glowing mandala lines not only arced and spread across the floor, but parts of it curled upward like the petals of a flower with Urd and Sephiroth in the center.

Sephiroth stepped forward, struggling against his restraints as his booming voice filled the entire hall. "Urd, no!"

Daedalus, finally able to see the complicated program and understanding its purpose, moved quickly. Throwing up his most powerful shield program, he tried to surround the magic circle that the two were within. In the same instant, the Goddess stood, flinging her hand into the air above her as she yelled, _"Sin Harvest!"_

A white light enveloped the entire hall. The deafening noise of the explosive blast shook the ground across Heaven, and could be heard by anyone standing outdoors. Chunks of stone cracked away from the outer walls of the Council building, falling to the ground as a dark grey smoke began to billow from the windows. In the confusion, no one saw the two Celestials burst forth from the dark clouds and race away.

Inside the chamber, a great deal of the gathered Celestials, members of the Council or not, lay unconscious and wounded. The members of the tribunal, also protected by Daedalus' shield, stirred behind the partially destroyed platform they had been seated on.

The Commander of the Templar Legions heaved himself from beneath the chunks of stone and wood that had fallen from the damaged ceiling. He squinted at the dust and smoke that still hung in the air as he tried to survey the scene. Rubbing a knot on his head, he was getting ready to help the wounded when he found himself face to face with a dust covered Chancellor.

"Daedalus, I want them found immediately!" He was furious, and the seething anger in his eyes made the Templar take a step back from the normally composed God. "Send every Sentry and Templar in Heaven! Find them now!" His voice became quieter but no less heated as he leaned in toward Daedalus. "Kill the traitor Sephiroth on sight, however I want Urd brought to me alive. I will deal with her personally."

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A/N:

The page break thing wasn't working on the edit/previw part of the posting, so I had to make due with the weird dotted line thing. I hope that actually shows up when I post.

A lot happened this time. I'm far more satisfied with this chapter than the last one. I felt it a lot more as I was writing. Hopefully you guys liked it more, too.

I changed the way I did the trial this time around, to make it a little more believable. Also, that part near the end where Urd was talking with Seph was changed, since it didn't really make sense the way I wrote it last time. I also made some small changes to the fight between Gil and the cloaked figure to make it a little more descriptive. I think it worked out pretty well.

This chapter wound up being a little shorter than I expected, but it still took more time than I would have liked. On that note, you guys should know that I'm taking classes again, and that will cut a little into my writing time (especially this weekend), so the next chapter is going to be delayed. It should only be a few days late, though.

I got the name Althena from the video game Lunar, which came out on the Sega CD back in the mid 90s. Hopefully you guys know where Oberon came from.

BTW, for those of you who aren't that familiar with the OMG universe (I know there aren't many of you, but still…), the Goddesses can transport themselves between Heaven and Earth, and between places on Earth, using their medium. In Bell's case, it's a mirror. For Urd it's a television screen, and for Skuld it's water. Peorth can use cameral lenses.

Marler is allergic to good luck charms. In Japan, finding a tea stalk floating upright in your cup is considered good luck.

Also, in case anyone was wondering about Garland's statement that they now had two reactors running: According to Wikipedia, the Enterprise has eight reactors on board. The ship is, needless to say, a touch overpowered.

As always, if you have any questions, feel free to ask. I didn't get any unsigned reviews for the last chapter, so I don't have anyone to respond to this go around.

Well that's about it. Until next we meet!

Katamari Damacy


	20. Arc II Chap 10 The Great Escape

Please note that _text that looks like this_ is something that is being typed or read (since ff net is stupid and won't let me use brackets...)

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_Arc II: Chapter Ten_

_The Great Escape_

"Have you lost your god damn mind, Urd?"

"I don't think this is the time to discuss that!" She spoke hastily, glancing at him over her shoulder as they flew.

Sephiroth seemed ready to say something else, but settled with a scowl. She was glad that he was beginning regain his composure as he came to terms with their situation. Getting out of Heaven was going to be nearly impossible as it was, and fighting with each other would make their odds even slimmer.

Hugging the ground to make it more difficult for their pursuers to spot them, they lanced across their Celestial home as fast as they ever had. Behind them loomed the ever growing cloud of smoke rising from the Council Halls. Looking briefly at the darkened column rising over the horizon, it truly hit her that there was no going back. She just hoped that they could evade capture long enough to get away.

"I take it you have a plan," he said sardonically.

She smiled at him confidently. "Of course!" Sephiroth eyed her suspiciously for another few seconds before looking behind them, checking for pursuers. Unseen by the God's sharp eyes, Urd sighed as her grin lost its confident shine. "I just hope it all works out," she muttered under her breath.

An instant later she found her momentum reversing as something jerked her from behind. A pained grunt escaped with most of her breath as her fellow fugitive grabbed her around the abdomen and pulled her up and into a nearby tree, crashing through the branches until they were deep within the foliage. Sucking in a new lungful of air, she was about to let him have it but found a strong hand covering her mouth before she had the chance. An urgent whisper came from right behind her right ear, "Quiet or they'll hear us!"

She stopped struggling against him just in time. They both watched intently as two white beings floated by. The two creatures looked somewhat like children of living porcelain. Small wings trailed out from behind their ears, and they had no legs, only a tapered sort of tail. In their hands they each carried a long golden staff, intricately engraved along the shaft. A powdery blue sphere sat at the head of the object, with several flat golden arcs surrounding it, almost like a disk with several parts missing.

Her green eyes narrowed as she watched the Sentinels pass. Once they were out of view, Urd began to impatiently renew her effort to free herself from Sephiroth's restraint, but he held her firmly in place, still looking in the direction the white beings had gone. "Wait until they're farther away. They might still detect us if we start moving now."

It was all well and good to her mind that they avoid those two Sentinels, but she was in no mood to spend any more time in one place than she had to. Mildly annoyed that they were still stationary, she quickly formulated a plan to get them moving again. Reaching her hand up, she carefully pulled his hand from her mouth.

"Is that really it," she whispered with a smile over her shoulder, "or do you just like holding me like this?" She patted the arm he still had tightly around her stomach to accentuate the point.

He looked at her blankly for a moment, probably unable to believe she would say something like that at a time like this, before he regained his stern visage. Quickly releasing her, Sephiroth dropped down to the walkway below, looking about for pursuers. With a quiet clearing of his throat, he spoke without looking up at her. "Let's go," he said with only the slightest discomfort in his voice. "The sooner we get out of here, the better."

She smiled a little at his reaction, but it gave way to survival very quickly. "Right, it won't be long before they swarm all over Yggdrasil." Dropping out of the foliage herself, the pair sped toward the great tower near the Crystal Sea. Yggdrasil would be their ticket out of Heaven, but getting there was only half the battle.

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Peorth stretched her arms over her head with a quiet groan. Her eyelids barely more than half open from lack of proper beauty sleep, she had a sour look at the prospect of yet another fourteen hour shift in the command center.

Since the beginning of the war, she and Ceres had been stuck with this horrendous schedule. Ceres would show up one hour before crew change, observing everything so that she would have a perfect view of the current situation. When she relieved Peorth as the System Watch Commander, the Goddess of Roses was required to go to an hour long debrief in the System Administrator's office to discuss any problems with Yggdrasil and possible solutions.

After that, she was on her own. At first, she had just gone home to rest, only to find that the travel time to and from work cut into her sleep. Ceres had discovered the same problem, so the two commandeered an office room at Yggdrasil after the first week. They set out beds and a few plants to try to make the place as comfortable as possible. Now they could get enough sleep, though only just.

Unfortunately it brought up another problem. Peorth hadn't been without stiffness in her neck for almost three weeks. Their beds, in her opinion, were hardly much better than the floor, and it was making her quite irritable. Ceres was apparently completely unaffected by the lack of comfortable sleep. Peorth couldn't figure out how she did it.

Rotating her head around slowly and deliberately, she smiled as her vertebrae popped loudly. Two young Goddesses working at an access terminal nearby looked up with a wince at the noise her neck made, but she was too worn out to care. _Heh, worn out already, and I haven't even made it to work yet._

Not feeling any desire to rush, the brown haired Goddess looked around as she made her way closer to the command center. The normally smooth walls were now marred by removed panels. The plants, paintings, and sculptures that normally decorated the halls had been replaced with bundles of cables and circuit boards. Occasionally the feet of a technician would be sticking out from a mess of wires in the walls, their whole bodies hidden from view as they did repair work or modifications to the hardware.

Gone was the warm and welcoming feel that most other structures in Heaven shared. Now everything looked as harsh and haphazard as the situation on Earth. Some of the workers made jokes here and there, sarcastically predicting that some system or another would crash just to spite them. Peorth half grinned as she watched one of the techs try to extract herself from one of the access hatches. She stood up before she had fully removed herself from the wires, tripping her and causing her to fall back into the mass of cables, bumping her head on the wall on the way down. Peorth kept smiling as she walked by the struggling Goddess, who was now rubbing her head and halfheartedly kicking at the wires in revenge. Normally the Goddess would have offered a hand, but with all the different problems crowding her mind, the thought simply didn't occur to her.

Every few minutes she would see a very young Goddess, a year or two short of getting their license, whose arms were full of paperwork or supplies, floating down the corridors. She felt sorry for these girls. They should have been studying how to use their powers, or playing with their friends. Instead they were put to work, in Yggdrasil and elsewhere in Heaven, wherever the Eternal City was short handed. She admitted that it would have been nearly impossible for the adults to take care of everything alone, and the presence of the young ones had certainly made things easier, even if only a little. Peorth suddenly shuddered, thinking of what it would be like without these youths to take care of the more menial tasks.

Realizing that there were only a couple more turns until she arrived at work, she took a deep breath as she began to get her brain moving and ready. She had discovered that even during the pass down, things could still happen that required her full attention. _Well, there's always something. So what's going to go wrong today?_ The moment she completed the thought she cursed her luck, seeing her question running down the hall toward her.

"Lady Peorth!" Commander Daedalus called to her from halfway down the corridor. "There is an emergency and I need Yggdrasil's sensors immediately!"

_What now, dammit? _"Is there something wrong Lord Commander?" Peorth's irritation at having yet another thing to deal with wasn't obvious per se, but it was there.

Her curiosity spiked, however, as Daedalus and two other Templars slid to a halt before her. She hadn't noticed it until he came closer to her, but the commander looked like a house had just fallen on him. His clothes were marked with dark streaks and a few tears, and it looked like ash was smeared on his face and in his disheveled hair.

"Sephiroth has escaped," he told her, his face twisted into a scowl.

All her previous thoughts and annoyances vanished in a heartbeat. "What? How could he have escaped from the Great Hall? Didn't somebody there try to stop him?"

His face darkened even more. "He had help, it seems. Lady Urd attacked us. It was all I could do to shield the Council members from the blast."

"Urd?" She felt a little lost, her mind spinning at this ridiculous statement. "Surely not! Urd may have done some reckless things in the past, but I can't believe she would ever do something as foolish as attacking the High Council! She has more brains than that even when she's completely drunk!"

Daedalus shook his head. "I saw it with my own eyes. She almost destroyed the entire building. She and Sephiroth disappeared before the smoke cleared. We have everyone scouring Heaven right now, but they are proving quite elusive. We need Yggdrasil's sensors to find them."

Peorth was barely listening anymore, her mind beginning to race with ideas. _Urd a terrorist? I can't believe she would do something so stupid! Even Urd would need a good reason to stick her neck out like that. There has to be a reason…_ "You'll have to talk to the SWC. Ceres is still on watch, so you'll have to talk to her. You know the way to the command center, I trust?" He nodded. "Well, you should probably get going. I think corridor 32-G is undergoing major work, so you should take 57-C instead to avoid any dead ends from equipment in the halls."

"Thank you for your help, Lady Peorth," he said before turning his head to the two Templars behind him. "Let's go." Peorth didn't watch them go, instead quickly marching the opposite way.

She knew in her heart that something was wrong here. It had been hard enough to believe that Sephiroth was a traitor, but Urd? The Goddess of the Past may have always been at the center of trouble, but she had a good heart. _What are you thinking, Urd? What's your plan?_

Stopping abruptly at an intersection, she seemed to ponder each path. Taking the corridor to her right, she began to float at what would have been a running speed. She had to find Urd before the Templars or Sentinels did. At least her fictitious detour for Daedalus would buy her a few minutes.

Her mind was filled with possibilities, and she wanted to know which one was the truth.

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Considering that it was the day before Christmas Eve, Keiichi sure hadn't expected to be feeling so down. He had expected the temple to be filled with warm voices. To hear Bell humming contentedly in the kitchen as she prepared a surprise for everyone or the sounds of metal clacking against metal as Skuld built another one of her contraptions. He would have even welcomed the sound of an explosion from Urd's room, as often happened when an alchemical experiment went awry. He wished for anything that would make it feel like it might be a real Christmas.

But none of those sounds reached his ears, only the solemn quietness of an empty home. Skuld never came home, Urd had disappeared, Keos was out on a raid, and Bell had left with Marler. Even Odin was gone, out commanding the troops as they reorganized for their new, more offensive style of operations. It left him very much alone, the only person in the temple house.

Looking around the empty tea room, he sat heavily next to the table. A small twinge of depression struck him as he thought of everyone who was out and about, doing the important work to save the world. The war had taught him just how little power he really had. It was something that he had always known since the Goddesses had come to live with him, but back then he had lived a relatively normal life. There had never been any need to do anything aside from going to school and worrying about the next Motor Club project.

"You don't look so good, kid." Keiichi turned from his thoughts to see a tall, skinny man. He was dressed in the same camouflage outfit as when they first met days before. The hard looking Marine looked at him with some small amount of concern.

"It's nothing, Gunny Taff," he replied with a weak smile. "I was just thinking."

The older man nodded as he entered the room just enough to close the door behind him. The Americans didn't usually enter the temple. They didn't like going through the trouble to take off their boots just to put them back on a few minutes later.

"So where is everyone?" He gave a cursory look around the room. "This place sounds pretty quiet."

"Everyone's gone," Keiichi replied glumly. "A bunch of stuff came up and they all had to go take care of it. I was just waiting for them to come back."

"I see," Taff replied. "Well, I came by to see if any word had come back from Yokusuka yet. I suppose I stay here and wait with you. Looks like you could use the company, anyway."

Keiichi chuckled a little at that. "Do I really look that depressed?"

"I recon that depends on what you're depressed about," he answered, his Japanese sounding strange thanks to his Arkansas accent. Sitting cross-legged near the door, he looked at the younger man patiently.

Feeling a little self conscious, Keiichi sighed a little before giving voice to what had been bothering him. "Did you ever get the feeling that you were useless?"

A short huff of a laugh came in response. "Is that what you're worried about?" His grin made Keiichi feel decidedly uncomfortable. He was about to tell the man to forget it, but Taff spoke again. "No, I haven't, and you shouldn't either. I'm sure that Miss Urd would have had a hard time without you around. She's a strong woman, but everyone needs a friend to talk to from time to time."

"She's got Marler," he countered. "About the only thing I can do to help the war effort is to make tea for the real players."

The Marine was silent for a moment before speaking again. "When I was a kid, my daddy never let me use the chainsaw." Keiichi looked at the other man strangely, wondering where this was coming from. "He said it was too much for a little guy like me. All I got was a hatchet and a hand saw. I hacked away at everything in sight. Got me in trouble a few times, too." Taff chuckled a little as he thought of his past. "Still, I could never help my daddy gather firewood like I wanted. Then one day he told me that I'd been helpin all along. I'd been cuttin off the little branches from the logs so we could get them into the fireplace. You see what I'm saying?"

Keiichi had to admit, he didn't have a clue. He had no idea what the strange analogy was supposed to mean. Shaking his head, Taff continued with a small grin. "The moral of the story is that even though I didn't do much, it still helped. Even if you think you aren't doing anything flashy or big, that doesn't mean that it isn't important to somebody."

"I see what you're saying," Keiichi nodded, a sliver of a smile showing. "Still, it feels like I could do more, like I _should_ do more. I should be out there helping to fight, or getting ready to fight if it comes down to that. Though, I suppose if it comes down to me joining the fight, we're in pretty deep trouble."

The two men laughed a little before the Gunny spoke again. "You sound like you might have made a good Marine. We have a saying in the Corps, 'Nobody wants a war, but if one comes, someone has to know how to fight it.'"

"That sounds like a pretty good saying," Keiichi replied, looking a little wistful. "I wish I'd heard it before all this started."

Keiichi suddenly realized that Taff was staring intently at him. He was about to ask what it was when the Marine suddenly stood. "You have any boots?"

"Uh, yeah," he blurted out in reply, "I've got some that I ride my motorcycle with."

"Get em on and meet me out in the yard."

He spoke with such a commanding tone, Keiichi found himself moving for the door before he realized it. "Are we going somewhere?"

The older man clapped a surprisingly strong hand on his shoulder. "You have a warrior inside you, struggling to make himself known. We're gonna see if we can't draw him out."

Keiichi would normally have scoffed at such a statement, sounding like something his sempai would have said. For some reason though, he felt a little excited now. The Marine spoke with such confidence, it was impossible to doubt him. "How are we going to do that?"

Taff smiled at him again. "Just a little hand to hand combat training. You're going to have some bruises, and you're gonna be sore as hell, but you can handle it. Remember, pain is just weakness leaving the body."

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"Where are you going?" Sephiroth asked in a whisper. "It's this way."

"This is a short cut," she replied. Noticing the doubt on his face, she added curtly, "I was the System Administrator, I think I would know the fastest way."

He nodded begrudgingly, following her as she crouched and snuck across the hallway, careful not to alert the techs working on an open panel five paces from them. She sped up as she rounded the corner, happy that they were almost home free. "The panel is just up here. It'll take us all the way down."

Looking back in front of her, she almost ran straight into someone. Yelping in surprise, she fell back against Sephiroth, who kept her from ending up on the ground.

"Urd!" Peorth somehow combined a yell and a whisper. "What the hell is going on here? Why are you helping him like this? He's a convicted traitor!"

"I know," she said, standing upright again and trying to placate her friend. "I know this looks bad…"

"Looks bad?" The other Goddess didn't seem ready to calm down. "Urd, you almost killed the High Council of Heaven. The _entire_ Council! This doesn't just look bad, Urd, it is bad! It's very bad!"

"Thanks for the update, Peorth," Urd snapped. "I'm well aware of what I did."

Peorth shook her head in disbelief. "Have you lost your mind, Urd?" Sephiroth cleared his throat briefly as soon as she said this, but when Urd turned angry eyes on him, he was already turned the other way. "This is really serious stuff. Give me one reason I shouldn't turn you in before things get worse."

Urd hesitated for a moment, wondering how she could explain everything. Her fellow fugitive didn't give her very long to think. "They're coming down the hall." She saw him against the wall, peering around the corner where they had come from. Turning toward the Goddesses, he stepped forward. "I'm sorry, Lady Peorth, but we have no time. Either let us pass or I will go through you." Peorth shirked back a little, looking very nervous about the choice.

"Listen, I know we haven't always seen eye to eye on everything," Urd said quickly, "but this is kind of a bad time to explain everything. All I can do is ask you to trust me. If you were ever going to do me a favor in this life, let it be now."

The Goddess of Roses looked at her, considering the tremendous request. Stepping aside, she spoke seriously. "I'm not going to cover for you, Urd, but you still owe me big time for this."

Rushing forward, Sephiroth tore the access panel from the wall, motioning for Urd to get in. Floating forward, she spared a smile of thanks to the other Goddess and dove into the crawlspace. The Templar followed quickly after, silently replacing the panel.

As soon as it was in place, Urd could hear muffled voices in the hallway, but couldn't understand them. Leaning closer to the hatch, she tried to listen in but Sephiroth nudged her back silently.

He was right, they had to keep moving. Nodding, she turned around and began to make her way down the cable and circuit lined tube.

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Still watching the panel as it returned to its place, she heard a strange voice come from behind her. It was strange, like two children speaking in near unison with a split second lag between them.

"Lady Peorth," one of the two Sentinels spoke, "We know you have been informed of our mission by Lord Commander Daedalus. Do you have any new information to report?"

She felt a little unnerved by the creatures. Their totally white bodies broken only by their strange eyes, it was as if they had the power to stare directly into her mind. She had met Demons that she felt better around.

"I still haven't been to the command center," she answered neutrally.

Their gaze seemed to bore into her for a moment before they suddenly turned in unison. Her stomach dropped when she followed their eyes straight to the spot that Urd and Sephiroth had disappeared. "Who is in that access tube?"

Trying her hardest to keep a calm exterior, she shrugged as if it didn't matter. "I don't think anyone is supposed to be working in this corridor until next week. Why?"

The Goddess backed out of the way as the pair silently floated across to the panel in question, staring at it intently. One of them turned back to her. Its strange voice was no different from before, yet it now seemed to hold a trace of impatience. "There is someone in here. Tell us who it is!"

Peorth put her hands up to placate the seemingly angry Sentinel. "Nobody as far as I know, but the work schedules are always changing. If someone is in there, it's probably just a technician."

The second creature reached forward, tearing the panel from the wall and flinging it several meters away without even touching it. It rushed into the now open tube, leaving the first Sentinel to turn again to the Goddess. "You are free to return to your duties, Lady Peorth. The others have already been alerted." With that, it too disappeared into the hatch.

Peorth sighed. She had forgotten that they could communicate telepathically with each other. Every Sentinel in Heaven would now know where Urd and Sephiroth were now. She had said that she wouldn't cover for the pair's escape, but she found herself quite vexed that it was impossible for her to keep their pursuers at bay. _That doesn't mean I'm powerless, though._

Flying down the hall to the nearest access terminal, she quickly logged on and activated an encryption program she had created in boredom several months before. Taking a roundabout path through the system she evaded several firewalls guarding the central core and breached the main control systems command route. Accessing one of the three main consoles in the command center remotely, she sent her encrypted message.

_Chrono? Are you there?_ Peorth's communication traveled through the system. Waiting several, extremely long seconds, she wondered if Chrono was indeed at her console.

_Lady Peorth? Why are you sending me an encrypted message? Is something wrong?_

She smiled a little in relief. Chrono had recognized the encryption and deciphered it in short order, even if it seemed to take forever. _Nothing less from one of my subordinates._

Her fingers flew across the console, rifling out her return message in less than a second. _I need you to make this connection secure. This is for your eyes only._

Chrono replied much more quickly this time. _Everyone is busy trying to eavesdrop on Commander Daedalus and Lady Ceres. No one else will see._

Trusting that Chrono had enough awareness to know if she was being spied on, Peorth took a deep breath and typed. _Urd is trying to escape with Sephiroth. I don't know why she's doing this, but I believe that she must have a pretty good reason. Something is going on here that we aren't seeing. She's heading for the Haguruma, and I think the Sentinels already know that. Don't put yourself at risk, but if you can do anything from there to help her out, please do so. It's not an order, just a request._

_Don't worry, Lady Peorth. Just leave it to Ere and I. After all, Lady Urd still owes me for all the sake I paid for the last time she was up here!_

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Sephiroth felt the hair on the back of his neck rise. Spinning around, he threw up a modified shield program that Masamune had taught him. The familiar blue magic circle appeared in mid air, but the arcane runes that could be seen on it were constantly rewriting themselves.

The intricate barrier appeared just in time. Two energy blasts, like bolts of lightning, slammed hard into it, ricocheting into a large gear nearby. The massive wheel shifted out of alignment from the blasts, causing a loud whine to issue forth as the huge machinery of the Haguruma tried to continue its work.

The two Sentinels seemed somewhat surprised that their attacks were deflected. After all, there was only one type of shield that could stop their lances, and only the Almighty knew it, or so they thought.

They were even more surprised when the unarmed God rushed them. Ramming his metal plated shoulder into one of them, it flew backward as he stopped in mid-air. Rotating around, he brought his right leg hard into the body of the other Sentinel. It took the blow with little effect, swinging the six foot golden rod it held at him. Bringing his left arm up, he narrowly kept it from striking his head. The pain he felt caused him to fall back, rolling away from the follow up blow. Growling at the solid white creature, the pain in his forearm reminded him why the Guardians of Heaven were so feared and respected.

The thing lunged forward with a thrust as he dodged to the side, ramming his elbow into the back of its neck as it passed with a sickening crack. Feeling a power charge behind him, he sprang upwards, flying over the blast that destroyed the grate he had been standing on. Twisting in flight, he saw the first Sentinel charging him. Gathering energy in his right hand, he hurtled a force ball at it.

Swinging its golden weapon at the small blast, it cut the force ball in two, the halves crashing into a catwalk below. This was what the Templar wanted, however. The Sentinel's weapon was extended to the side, leaving it quite vulnerable. Taking full advantage of the opening, Sephiroth darted head-on at the surprised creature, his fingers crackling with energy. It could do nothing but watch as he put his hand through its chest.

They hung in the air for a few seconds before the grim faced God yanked his hand free. The white creature fell limply to the grate flooring several meters below, very dead. Turning his head, he saw the other one unmoving against a large, slow moving cogwheel. Satisfied that the danger was gone, at least for the moment, he floated around the corner and through a door to the room where Urd was busy working on their escape.

"How much longer?" His voice was neutral, though he had to force back a groan as he massaged his arm where the Sentinel had scored a hit.

She was darting about the control node for the Haguruma's machinery, hitting toggle switches, adjusting dials, pulling levers, and hitting buttons as she went. The place was as analog as the current Yggdrasil was digital. Clicks were sounding every time something moved, and she was working so fast that the sounds never stopped.

"It'll be a few more minutes," she said tensely, pausing long enough to wipe the sweat from her brow. "Just a few more minutes and we'll be able to get out of here."

"Damn," he cursed under his breath. He knew that those two were just the beginning. The Sentinels knew where they were now. In a few more minutes there would be twenty of them bearing down on the two fugitives. It was hard enough fighting two at once, and he might be able to fight off four or five if luck was on his side. Beyond that, there was virtually no chance that he could win. _And that's assuming that no Templars show up._ "Urd, they're going to be swarming us any second. Once they arrive in numbers, we're finished, I won't be able to hold them off."

She frowned as she continued her work, not looking back at him. "There isn't anything more I can do. Creating a gate is bad enough with the Yggdrasil computer system, and this place just wasn't made for speed."

"Criminal Sephiroth! Criminal Urd!" Urd paused as she and the God looked at each other with trepidation as they heard the strange double-voices of the Sentinel. "You are surrounded. Come out now and surrender."

Sephiroth nodded to Urd, who resumed her work as he tried to buy more time. "What have you been ordered to do with us once we have been captured?" he called out to the unseen Guardians of Heaven.

"We have received orders that the criminal Urd is to be taken alive to face trial before the High Council," it replied without emotion. "The criminal Sephiroth is to be executed on sight, as per the outcome of his trial and the orders of Chancellor Marduk."

Looking back over at Urd, she put up her index finger. _One more minute. I suppose that there's no choice then._ Sighing heavily, the God moved over to the console. "Escape as soon as you have the gate ready. I will hold them off, and follow you if I can."

Her movements stopped as she looked at him, almost as if she had just realized he was there. "What are you saying?" Suddenly waving a finger in his face, her voice betrayed a nervousness in her angry words. "You are not going to die here! We're leaving this place together, and that's that! I didn't put myself through all this just so you could wind up dead anyway! Do you understand?"

He could only respond with a weak smile. _She's always so demanding. _Reaching over, he picked up Masamune from its resting place against the nearby console. His voice held a twinge of hope as he started for the door. "I will…do what I can."

"You'd better survive, you jerk!"

As he neared the door and the clicking sounds returned behind him, he realized that this was the most important fight of his life. Looking back at the furiously working Urd, the words of another Goddess came to mind.

'_As often as the person may do things that bother you, it doesn't change the fact that you don't want them to come to harm, right? As long as you want to keep that person safe, then you will find your true strength.'_

He pondered Belldandy's words in those few seconds. _If I fail here, Urd will pay the price. I cannot let that happen, no matter who my opponents are._ Striding confidently around the corner, he lost sight of the Goddess, turning instead to the enemies outside the control room. He counted seventeen Sentinels floating before him, and no Templars. That made things easier.

All of them stared at him coldly, without pity for the one they were ordered to kill. They were an intimidating sight, every bit the creatures that few had ever dared challenge in the long history of Heaven. His sharp eyes, however, saw them edging away ever so slightly. They knew what their fallen comrades knew, and they were not looking forward to this fight.

His lips curling upward, he looked at them as a predator would. They shifted back further as he grasped the Masamune. With a deliberately slow motion he brought it before him as the black sheath disintegrated. The long blade shone in the dimly lit Haguruma, its deadly edge ready to take first blood.

He felt a tingle in his fingers as Masamune spoke to him. _I know. This is just a holding action. I just need to stay alive until the gate opens._ Another tingle. _Killing these things does not weigh on my conscious. They are out for my life, and if they capture Urd, her life is forfeit as well. I will not allow that to happen._

Flexing his shoulders, the single white wing extended from his back. Pain shot through the bleeding wound where his other wing should have been, but he stubbornly refused to show it to his opponents. As he raised his head once more, his eyes narrowed and focused on one of the white beings. Letting out a tremendous roar, his power spiked, and the Sentinel burst into flames. The others spread away from their fellow, startled by their fellow's demise.

Taking his chance, he jumped forward and sliced the nearest one before quickly pivoting to drive the weapon into the head of the next. A flurry of lighting struck at him as he almost seemed to teleport out of the way.

He quickly realized that he had lost the advantage of surprise. The fourteen remaining creatures were now quite focused, zooming this way and that in an attempt to flank their target. However, for every strike they made he parried with speed that amazed even himself. _How is this possible? I've never been this fast before. _Two closed in on him from his flanks as another fired a bolt from right in front of him. The fugitive Templar smiled.

Flinging up his shield program, the bolt was deflected at just the right angle to strike the Sentinel rushing in from the right. It made a disturbing sort of scream before becoming rigid and grey, falling silently to the ground and shattering. With a spinning slash he brought the blade around, decapitating the one to his left.

Feeling a powerfully sharp pain in his back, he fell to the metal floor. Instinctively turning onto his back and bringing Masamune up, he just blocked another strike from the Sentinel. It bore down on him, pressing the lance hard against the huge blade. It's cold, expressionless eyes belied the fierce effort it was putting forth to kill him. He stared back at the vacant expression for several seconds before ramming his head violently into its face. As it fell back into the air he swung with all his might upward, cutting the golden rod in half and giving it a deep laceration from the abdomen to just under the chin.

"Sephiroth!" Urd's voice echoed out of the control room, loud enough to be heard over another clang of steel against steel. She had activated the gate. Now was the time to escape.

Flying straight up and out of the way of two more attacks, he easily cut the metal shaft of a huge cogwheel overhead turned on. The gear, a little less than five meters across and nearly half a meter thick, plummeted downward. The Sentinels scattered at it fell, tearing through several catwalks and platforms as it clamored out of sight. It might have even caught one of the enemy beneath it, he wasn't sure and he didn't have time to check.

Lancing across the battlefield in the confusion, he rushed into the door. Just as he rounded the corner, a blast struck the entrance and knocked him forward. Struggling to keep his balance, he suddenly realized something that he should have known from the start.

The Sentinels would follow them. If he didn't stop them here, then he would have to fight them on Earth, and he didn't know if he could keep Urd safe in that event. All it would take is one energy blast from their lances and she would be gone. _I have to stop them here._

Even as he thought that, he knew it wasn't possible to win. He had been fighting harder and faster than he ever had. He had taken a painful hit to his back, which already hurt from his missing wing, and his breaths were coming shorter. He wouldn't last against what was left. He couldn't win, but he could force a stalemate.

When the Guardians of Heaven rushed around the corner to give chase, they found Sephiroth waiting. Masamune was strapped over his back, and the gate was swirling and glowing behind him. His arms were over his head, sweat pouring down his brow, with electricity arcing between his hands. They could feel the tremendous power he was bringing to bear, and they knew what he was about to do with it.

A force ball was one of the most simple attack programs, as well as being very versatile. While most programs had a limit to how much power could be put into them, the force ball had no such limit. The danger of overcharging the attack was that it had an explosive blast radius. Putting too much power into a force ball attack was as likely to kill the user as it was the opponents. But then, Sephiroth knew all that.

The Sentinels, while being totally devoted to their mission, did possess a degree of self preservation, and that was what kept them at bay now. They knew what would happen if his attack went off, and they didn't seem interested in seeing it firsthand. Floating in place, they watched him carefully. Sephiroth knew they were communicating with each other, deciding what course of action to take. He wouldn't have much more time.

A sphere of blue energy blinked into existence between his hands. The Sentinels charged forward to stop him. Yelling, he knew this was it. They wouldn't capture Urd, at least not today. He brought the energy down, hurling it to the plate metal floor just a meter in front of him.

Everything seemed to go in slow motion afterward. The flash blinded him, though he didn't really care about that. It was just as well that he didn't have to watch what his attack did to the Sentinels. He felt the pressure from the explosion against his skin, stretching it back as the heat scorched him. He vaguely felt himself flung backwards through the air, and the energy wave that washed over him as he hurtled through the gate.

After that, everything went black.

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She had been able to hear the battle as she worked. Every moment that ticked by she thought of a new curse for the clumsy and archaic controls for the Haguruma. Finally, after what seemed like forever, the gate finally appeared. Yelling to Sephiroth to let him know it was time to leave, she dove though. Now she was just waiting for the God to follow.

Urd was standing in a clearing, somewhere in a forest of Japan. She hadn't been very specific on where the gate would lead in order to save time, but she really didn't know where she was or where they would go from here.

The gate swirled and resonated with a deep hum, but nothing was coming through. She was starting to worry about what was happening in the Haguruma. She could only pray that he would make it back. She got her wish very abruptly, though not in the way she wanted it.

The smoking form of the white haired God flew from the portal like a rag doll. The gate flashed brightly and vanished with a loud bang. Blinking a few times as her sight began to focus again, she saw Sephiroth slumped on the dead grass beneath the tree he had slammed into.

Kneeling beside him she removed the Masamune, which was still strapped to his back. Rolling him over, she winced at the second and third degree burns over every inch of his exposed skin. Blood was coming from his nose and mouth, and as she leaned in she could hear his labored breathing.

"Damn it, damn it!" Summoning all her powers, she threw it all into a minor first aid program she had learned as a child. Without her potions, she could barely do any healing at all. Several minutes later she finally relented. With all the running and evading, and now this, it felt like she had worked a muscle too hard. Now her powers felt, for lack of a better term, almost rubbery.

For all the effort she had expended, very little was accomplished. His burns seemed to have lessened slightly, but his breathing hardly seemed better and he was still bleeding. Tearing away parts of her battle uniform, she tried to do her best to fashion bandages, but she knew there was little she could do right then.

All Urd could do now was wait and hope that he could pull through on his own.

Doing her best to collect herself, she began to sit back when she finally perceived them. In a flash Masamune was in her hands, and she stood ready to fight, tired as she was. The Goddess couldn't see her enemies, but she knew they had surrounded her. _Sentinels? No, it feels different. The Cruel Angel's monsters?_

Sweat beaded on her brow, rolling down her cheeks. Her emerald eyes were darting this way and that, trying to see the enemies that she had so carelessly allowed to ambush her. Something was odd, though. They weren't attacking, just watching.

"Come out and face me already!" She yelled in anger, refusing to be toyed with. A rustle from behind a nearby tree drew her attention. Dead leaves crackled underfoot as a shadow moved out from behind it.

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A/N:

Sorry this one took so long. My classes are cutting into my writing time. Still, it's really interesting stuff. My aircraft accident investigation course is awesome. I'll be doing my research paper on American Airlines 191 (just type in 'aa191' in wikipedia and you'll get the scoop on the crash).

Anyway, we're closing in on the last chapters that I wrote prior to this incarnation of the story. The rest of the story is starting to come together in some of my notes, so I've got direction and an ending. All that's left is to actually write it all. It'd be awesome if I could finish before the end of the year, but I'm not ready to make that prediction yet.

Thank you to my reviewers. For NavyPolice83: I'm pleased that you like it so much. As far as Sephiroth goes, I haven't actually said it yet, but I pretty much have. Of course, that may or may not matter now (evil laugh).

The Sentinels are the creatures in the OMG movie that came after Celestine when he turned bad guy in Heaven. They were the things that Bell knocked the snot out of before she went all depressive. Their 'lances' are the golden rods that they used in the movie, and I think were used by Bell at the end of the movie as well. I don't know the names, so I just made them up.

Hopefully next chapter will put Zankoku over 100K words. Personally I'm amazed that I've managed to write so much. On the other hand, who knows just how much farther I have to go before I'm finished?

Anyway, thanks to all for reading and staying with me for so long. I hope I can keep you all with me to the end.

Katamari Damacy


	21. Arc II Chap 11 Pains

_Arc II: Chapter 11_

_Pains_

Skuld slowly returned to consciousness, though she wondered if she was still in a dream. Whichever direction she turned her bleary eyes, there was only darkness. Her body felt light, nearly weightless, standing on an invisible platform as if her feet were just touching the bottom of a pool.

Looking around as she rubbed her eyes, she felt rather confused. She didn't know where she was, nor did she understand why she had fallen asleep in a lightless place like this. Still, it didn't occur to her that she should be worried. At least, not until several seconds later, when she tried to remember how she had arrived in such a place. Her eyes widened as she began to realize that she wasn't dreaming, and that something was horribly wrong.

Wanting to feel reassured, she began reaching for her various bombs and rockets. She felt rather nervous when, instead of reaching inter her pockets, she felt only her own skin. Looking down at herself, her eyes confirmed what her sense of touch had told her. Though she could not sense anyone nearby, she blushed as she wrapped her arms around herself.

As she crouched down, covering herself as best she could, she struggled to keep a level head. _Calm down, Skuld. I have to think about this rationally. There has to be a way out of this place, I just need to find it._

Her eyes again searched the blackness, and again she could detect nothing. The Goddess felt very much alone in the dark expanse, cut off from everything save her memories. She could feel no life in the place, no shifting air, nothing. All she could sense was emptiness, a lack of everything. She had never before encountered something like this and it was extremely unnerving.

Over and over again she wondered where she could be and why she was there. Though trying her best to think positively, her mind continually found its way back to the same terrible fact.

The Cruel Angel had her. She had been captured and now…what? What were they going to do with her? Whatever it was, she was haunted by the nagging thought that it would be very painful, and Skuld was becoming more and more certain of that with each passing second. An unnatural fear loomed over her, ever larger, like the strange darkness that surrounded her.

"Belldandy?" She called out into the black, not receiving even the faintest of echoes. "Urd? Gil? Please help me, anybody!"

"Anybody?"

She jumped at the deep male voice that answered her. Her arms tightened around her as she yelled angrily at the black cloaked figure. "Who are you? What do you want with me?"

"You are the Cruel Angel's new servant," he responded in an odd tone.

"Never!" Her black hair thrashed about her shoulders as she shook her head. "I will never betray the ones I love!"

She could hear him sigh quietly, as if he had hoped she wouldn't refuse. "Have you ever heard of a domination program?"

Shuddering, she felt her fighting spirit collapse before his simple question. "Is that what you're planning on doing to me?"

"Not what I'm planning, my lovely Goddess," he corrected, "what I am in the process of doing. Though my method is somewhat different than how my master would do it. That's what all this is." He waved his hand around at the black surroundings. "This is all to prepare you for the final steps."

Final steps? Her breaths became short and irregular as she fought back against her tears. The fear that hovered over her head descended heavily, squeezing her heart. "Why?" was all she could manage.

"You are afraid?" he asked simply. "Well, you should be happy to know that I do not plan on expelling your soul into nothingness." His voice lowered to a whisper, leaning forward slightly. "Nor do I plan on simply giving your soul to _him._"

"What are you talking about?" she asked, her irritation at being led on beginning to override her fear. "How do you plan on using my body if I'm still in it? Dominations only work on a body with no soul."

"That is what everyone believes," he replied, slowly circling her, "however, I have discovered that a body may still be controlled if the spirit is unable to fight back against the program. Therefore, all I really need to do is seal away your spirit and the program will work just as well. Haven't you wondered why it's dark? We're in your psyche, my young Skuld. I've already shut off everything except your soul."

"Wait, how can you possibly seal my soul?" She spoke with a mix of confusion and fear. "The only one who can do something like that is the Almighty!"

"How could I know?" He laughed at her question, though she thought it lacked any real feeling of humor. "I know because I have seen it first hand, my dear little child."

She suddenly felt a flare of anger. Standing and thrusting a finger where his face should have been, she yelled at the man, "I'm not a child!"

He was silent for a moment before the opening of his hood turned to the side. "I can see that," he said, a hint of amusement in his voice. "You've grown quite a bit since the last time I saw you."

Skuld felt her cheeks grow hot as she remembered her lack of clothing. Trembling in anger as she tried to keep herself covered with her left arm, her clenched right hand reared back. Her outrage drew out a torrent of energy from deep within her as she used one of the few powers she had learned. Her fingers stretched out toward the black hood as she screamed, "You _pervert!_"

In her mind, the Goddess envisioned those words plastered in big block letters across his face, as she had to Urd and Keiichi on so many occasions. All those successes left her totally unprepared when her power failed. Striking some sort of invisible shield, her simple program was shattered with a flash and a loud bang. Stumbling back several feet, she looked back up at her captor to hurl some insult or another. Instead, all she could do was stare in disbelief.

The black hood had been knocked away by the blocked spell, and she could now see the gray-green eyes looking back at her. She could see the dark hair that hung loosely around his face and shoulders. The right side of his face was nearly black, the skin dry and badly cracked, but the three blue marks on his face were unmistakable.

"C-Celestine?" she hardly more than whispered before her knees gave way once again. Looking up at him from the ground, she could feel her breath grow short again. "How? This isn't…"

"Possible?" he completed the question for her, a humorless smile on his lips. "You're right, I shouldn't be here. Nevertheless, the Cruel Angel found me and brought me back." He paused for a moment, apparently thinking about something. "I suppose there is no more point in playing games." She unconsciously shifted away from him as he approached, but found herself surprised when he knelt several paces in front of her.

"Skuld, I have a mission that I have to complete," he spoke quickly, "and I need your help to accomplish it. You, together with Belldandy and Urd, can bring this war to an end."

"I don't believe you!" Her voice was as forceful as she could make it. "You've betrayed us twice already! I won't help you and neither will my sisters!"

Celestine was opening his mouth to say more when a horrendous sound reached their ears. A chorus of a thousand terrible voices speaking as one. "YOU HAVE NO CHOICE IN THE MATTER, MY LITTLE NORN."

* * *

Sitting up violently, Gilgamesh gasped for air as his eyes frantically scanned the darkness. His armor was gone, reverting to his navy blue robes as he slept. Disoriented and unable to see anything that would indicate where he was, he quickly rubbed his eyes, hoping his vision would somehow sharpen.

His breath finally slowing, his nightmare nagged at him from the back of his mind. Visions of the black cloaked man kept assailing him as he slept. Images of Skuld's frightened look as he took her away. He suddenly wanted to feel the grip of his sword. Floating from the bed to the cold metal floor, he began to search through the darkness.

Hearing a quiet murmur from the corner, Gil froze. Preparing himself to activate an attack program, he turned and called out loudly, "Who's there?"

He heard the person jump slightly, causing the Templar to tense up even more. "Gilgamesh?" The soft, feminine voice was not what he was expecting to hear. "You should still be in bed. Why are you up?" His arms dropped from their ready position, and he felt an unpleasant nervousness churning in his stomach.

"L-Lady Belldandy," he managed as she turned the lights on. "Where are we?"

"We're in the infirmary on the Enterprise," she spoke with a strange sort of calm. "The lookouts here saw your battle near the coast and went to try and help."

The God weakly chuckled at the idea. "They couldn't have done anything. I was fighting against a God."

She didn't act surprised at this information, oddly enough. Her eyes darkened a bit, though, as if it saddened her. The pause between them was short, however, and she pressed on to the subject that he least wanted to talk about. "They said when they arrived, they found you injured and unconscious after your fight. They looked, but there was no sign of anyone else." He turned away from her when he saw the tears starting to shine in her eyes.

The room was silent for several seconds as she waited for an answer to her unspoken question. He gritted his teeth, unwilling to meet the gaze of the Goddess behind him. Gil could feel his rage, the anger that he had felt during the battle. It burned at the edge of his mind. He tried desperately to grab it, to make himself hate the dark God that he had fought against, to blame it all on him and make this a simple case of revenge.

But every time he felt his hatred rise, it turned against himself. He had known there would be those out there who wished them harm, and he had accepted his responsibility as Skuld's protector. He had been put to the test, and he had failed. It was his weakness that lost Skuld.

Slamming his fist into the bulkhead with a heated shout, the hard metal gave a little as it bulged away. The gray paint cracked under his fist, and he stood there for a moment after the echo finished reverberating throughout the ship.

"He took her from me." The God's voice was quiet and thick with self-loathing. "The black cloaked man. He beat me, and he took her away." Turning back to the Goddess, he saw the tears trickle down her cheeks, but this time it was she who averted her gaze. "I know this is my fault. It was because of my failings that she was taken by the Cruel Angel's pawn."

Belldandy's eyes were clenched shut, the pain on her face stinging him deep in his heart. Her hands trembled as she clutched at her heart. The sight cut him to the core. _This is my fault. It's my failure that's twisting the knife in her heart. _"I…" he hesitated, trying to compose himself. "I know you're angry with me, or disappointed. You have more than enough reason to never want to speak with me again. Before I go, I just…I will track them down, and I will bring Skuld back."

Dropping to one knee before her, he bowed his head low. His long hair fell around his face as he spoke. "I swear to you, Lady Belldandy, I will do everything I can to bring your sister back to you! I will gladly die for her, and if I have to hand my soul over to the Cruel Angel himself to get her back, I will do so without hesitation!"

He held himself perfectly still for a moment, keeping silent to listen for any reply that she might give him. The Templar was startled when Belldandy dropped to her knees herself, cupping his face in her hands. "I thought we'd agreed that you wouldn't call me 'lady' anymore?" He looked up to see her blue eyes watching him, filled with a mixture of sorrow and compassion. "You've been here for a day and a half. Marler has been out looking, but if there was a trail to be followed, it's gone cold. You can't find her right now."

He was about to object when she pulled him forward into an embrace. "There is enough blame for both of us. I should never have let her go. But now we have to use every ounce of our strength to bring her back home. I understand how you feel, Gilgamesh, but we cannot do this alone." She pulled back until she held the God's hands in her own. "Promise me that you won't try anything until you've spoken to me about it first. I think that Skuld would be very sad if you were to die trying to get her back."

Holding her hands firmly, he looked at her with unwavering eyes. "I, Gilgamesh, pledge my sword to you, Belldandy, until the day Skuld is returned to us."

She weakly smiled through her tears, "I know that you will never give up on her. I just pray for her safety until we can save her."

* * *

_Damn! What is he doing here?_

Unable to do anything else, the former God knelt, bowing his head deeply as the form of the Cruel Angel strode past him toward the raven haired Goddess. His Master wore the guise of a humanoid, tall and well built. The tips of his long, deep red hair floated and wavered like embers carried away from a bonfire. His cat like eyes shone golden despite the lack of ambient light. Black edged the crimson tunic he wore, the black pants flowing seamlessly into boots that echoed with every step, as if he were walking on stone.

Out of the corner of his eye, Celestine could see the look of terror Skuld wore. She tried desperately to scramble away from the embodiment of fear, managing to flail herself little more than a meter before the evil being reached down and grabbed a fistful of black hair. Yanking so hard that even the God winced, she was jerked backward with a terrified shriek of pain.

Taking hold of her left arm, he lifted her from the invisible floor easily, her toes struggling to reach the surface that was just out of range. Not willing to open her eyes and face the creature holding her, she kicked and punched wildly at him. Each time her strike came close, her hand or foot was diverted by a shield of some sort.

While Skuld was probably too frightened to feel it, Celestine knew all too well the futility of her struggle. The Cruel Angel's powers were beyond that of any Celestial now. A Goddess who could barely use her own powers certainly had no chance, but he could understand her need to fight back despite that. After all, Celestine had done the same thing when the Cruel Angel had found him, his spirit floating in the ether between the worlds. As hard as the God had fought, the monster had only shown a fraction of his incredible power.

Waving his free hand, the Cruel Angel abruptly halted the Goddess' struggling. Tears streamed from her tightly closed eyes as she tried to move with all her might, but all she could do was turn her head. Releasing his grip and stepping back, the humanoid creature smiled in satisfaction as he looked at her naked form, suspended in mid-air where he had held her.

"YOU KNOW, MY DEAR NORN," the countless voices spoke without any movement from his mouth, "YOU HAVE A POWER WITHIN YOU. A GREAT POWER THAT EVEN YOU ARE LIKELY UNAWARE OF." His smile grew as he watched her desperate attempt to hold in her cries. "THAT POWER WILL BE MINE AFTER I DEVOUR YOUR SOUL. THEN I WILL USE YOUR BODY TO DRAW YOUR SISTERS TO ME, AND EAT THEIR SOULS AS WELL."

Celestine's eyes widened at the Cruel Angel's words. "Master!" He called out before he realized the stupidity of doing so. "You said that I would get to have Skuld for myself!"

When those golden eyes turned on him, he realized just how terrible of a mistake he had just made. Grunting in pain, his body splayed out violently, pressure building on his bones. A sickening crack echoed through the darkness as his right arm broke in half, followed by several bones in his left hand. A shin snapped loudly, and he could feel the pressure on his ribs, preventing him from breathing.

His teeth were clenched tightly together to prevent what little breath he had from escaping as a scream. If he was going to die here, he refused to give his Master the pleasure of hearing his tortured cries. His back arched suddenly, and the pain in his compressing vertebrae became enormous as his body began to fold backwards on itself. The agony became ever sharper, and he knew if it lasted much longer he would let out a cry.

Suddenly the pressure stopped, and his torso came down to the invisible floor before he realized what was happening. His face slammed hard into the surface, but he could barely feel it over the residual sensation of nearly being broken in twain. He struggled to breathe as he lay, unable to even move his eyes as he wished.

"ALL SOULS IN HELL, ON EARTH, AND IN HEAVEN BELONG TO ME!" The voices spoke dangerously. "IF I DECIDE TO GIVE YOU SOMEONE TO HAVE FUN WITH, IT WILL BE ME WHO DECIDES WHO IT SHALL BE!"

* * *

The door lock slid into place with a click. "Okay," Peorth said, turning to the other two Goddesses, "I know it's been hectic, but now's our chance to get everything straight."

Chrono and Ere nodded as they sat down on the bed. The three hadn't been able to speak about the events of the last half day for fear of being overheard by Daedalus or one of his men. This had been the first time since the incident that they had found the chance to talk.

Peorth had just finished setting up eavesdropping wards on the makeshift bedroom she and Ceres had been using when the two operators arrived. They could finally talk freely.

"What I want to know, Lady Peorth," Chrono spoke, fatigue evident in her voice, "is just what exactly are we doing all this for?"

Ere nodded. "Yeah. I mean, I like Lady Urd and all, but if she's become a criminal…"

The Goddess of Roses fell heavily into a chair as she answered. "We're trying to keep Urd safe until we can figure out what's going on one way or the other."

"But she helped Sephiroth escape! She even attacked the High Council." Ere didn't seem very convinced that they were doing the right thing at all. "Are we really sure we're helping the right people here?"

The elder of the three Goddesses shook her head. "No, Ere, we can't be sure right now. Still, we can come up with theories. For one, she really could have turned to the enemy, whether she was forced to do so or not. On the other hand, she might have reason to believe in Sephiroth's innocence."

Chrono leaned forward. "If that's true, and Sephiroth is innocent, then that means that there is still a traitor somewhere in Heaven. That person might even be on the Council itself!"

"It's an unpleasant thought, but still possible. We have to be careful, though," Peorth cautioned. "We don't really know anything right now. Until we do, we just have to trust Urd and try to contact her covertly as soon as possible. I want to know what she does before someone tries to throw a noose around her neck, don't you?" The two younger Goddesses nodded. "Alright then. Chrono, tell us exactly what you did to help cover for them."

"Well, by the time I started," she began, "the Sentinels had already found them. I started scanning the system for any irregularities that the Haguruma might be causing and I noticed that Lady Urd was gathering data for a gate to Earth. The coordinates she pulled were rudimentary at best, so she could have gated down anywhere in southern Japan. Anyway, before she left, I set up a dummy program that made it look like she had used Yggdrasil's computer to set up the gate. Then I disguised and encrypted the file."

"And that's when you pretended to discover how Urd activated the gate," Peorth finished for her. "The encryptions worked very well. The girls who relieved you had a hard time breaking into it. They only figured out a few hours ago where the gate led to. By then, Urd and Sephiroth were long gone. Good work, Chrono."

She smiled a little. "Thank you, ma'am."

"What about you, Ere?"

"Well, I tried to make sure that they didn't get their powers cut off from them," Ere replied. "Lady Urd had set up the Haguruma to supply herself and Lord Sephiroth with energy after it was cut off by the Yggdrasil mainframe. I knew it wouldn't take long for someone to realize they were still getting power, and not much longer after that till the lines were severed. With that in mind, I started creating a program that would run in the system background that gave the appearance that it was supplying their powers. In those last four hours of my shift, I was continually modifying it until I came up with something that I don't think even we can delete."

Peorth and Chrono looked at her with raised eyebrows, intrigued by her last statement. "What do you mean by we won't be able to delete it? Just what did you make?"

"Well, I modified the original program into what I call the 'Ere Super Jumping Bean, version 1.'" She smiled proudly at the announcement. Noticing the strange looks she was getting, Ere explained further. "Basically, the program periodically jumps to a totally different part of the system, and the pattern is totally random. When you do manage to track it down, I encrypted it with a tri-linear rotating fractal code. By the time anyone comes close to cracking it, the program jumps again and changes its defenses. They won't have enough time to access it, so they can't delete it. Even if they did destroy the program, it won't matter. The one Lady Urd made is still running in the Haguruma, and nobody will think to look there until the Ere Super Jumping Bean v1 is gone."

Chrono suddenly began to giggle, trying to cover her mouth with her hand. Peorth herself couldn't hide her amused smile. Ere seemed a little indignant. "What? I thought it was a pretty good plan."

"It's not that," Chrono managed between laughs. "It's a good idea, really!"

Peorth leaned back in the chair, crossing her legs as she did so. "She's right, Ere, it's a brilliant piece of programming. It's just that you seemed so worried that we were doing the right thing by helping Urd escape, and yet you put so much effort into making it nearly impossible for her to be cut off from her powers."

Ere blushed a little. Her fingers began to fidget with her robes as she shrugged. "I guess I got carried away."

* * *

"NOW, MY DEAR," the voices bombarded her again, drawing an involuntary whimper from the Goddess. Her eyes were still tightly clamped shut. While she had been able to shut out her sight, she had still been forced to hear Celestine's clenched breaths as his bones were broken. _Will that happen to me, too?_ That thought alone made her want to cry. "WHERE WERE WE? AH YES, I WAS GOING TO GIVE YOU A TASTE OF WHAT IS IN STORE FOR YOU."

Almost against her will, Skuld's eyes flew open just in time to see the Cruel Angel swing a huge blade across her abdomen. Her breath caught in her throat and she felt an odd sort of tingling sensation across her stomach. Seconds passed, and nothing happened.

Starting to exhale in relief, it quickly transformed into a scream as she felt her insides pull at her. A paper thin line of crimson, the same color as the creature's tunic, drew itself around her before trails of blood began to seep out and run downward. The Goddess had no experience to compare to what she felt at that moment. She watched in horror as she remained suspended in the air and everything below the cut fell to the floor, her insides splattering around her splayed legs with a disgusting sound.

"THAT IS JUST A SMALL TASTE OF WHAT YOU WILL KNOW AFTER I HAVE DEVOURED YOU, MY LITTLE NORN."

She blinked, then blinked again. Her hips and legs were still attached, and there was nothing on her body to suggest that she'd been cut. She still wanted to vomit. The sensation was still resounding through her nerves, as if it were still happening. _An illusion? But it felt so real! No, I can't give in to this! I can't give up! _ A shot of pain distracted her from her fears as she bit down on her lip. She could taste the blood on her tongue as she tried to meet the evil eyes of her torturer as bravely as she could.

"I-I'm n-not scared of y-you!" She could barely stammer out her words. "I'll n-never join you of m-my own free w-will!" What little bravery she had mustered was crushed like an ant when she saw his excited smile.

"MY, HOW FIESTY YOU ARE!" The terrifying voices somehow sounded admiring. "I WILL HAVE TO GIVE YOU EXTRA TORTURE, WON'T I, MY DEAR? PERHAPS I CAN INTRODUCE YOU TO THE EXQUISITE SENSATION OF HAVING YOUR SKIN PULLED AWAY?"

_Oh, God. Please, I can't…I can't do this! I can't handle this! I'm not strong enough!_ Unable to control her fears any longer, her sobs burst forth. She could barely see through the tears, and she mouthed her prayers as she cried loudly for salvation. _Somebody! Please help me!_

"Master!" Celestine's weak voice croaked out between the Goddess's cries. He had somehow managed to drag his broken body to the Cruel Angel's boots. "I beg of you, Master! Please let me have this girl! I swear that I will get the other two for you quickly! I have a plan! Just let me have this one!"

Skuld's sobs quieted, but still continued as she prayed for the lesser of two evils. The humanoid eyed his prone servant with disdain. For several terrifying seconds, she feared that she would be victim to another excruciating illusion.

"VERY WELL," the voices finally relented. "I SHALL LEAVE HER TO YOU." He turned his back to Skuld as he walked away. "IT'S A SHAME REALLY, TO HAVE SUCH A GIRL AS THIS WASTED ON YOU. NO MATTER. HER SISTERS WILL BE ENOUGH TO PLEASE ME, I AM CERTAIN."

Skuld suddenly fell to the invisible floor in a heap. When she looked up, the Cruel Angel was gone. Her whole body shook as a feeling of relief washed over her, and she began to sob once again.

An odd pop, followed by a pained exhale, drew her attention and reminded her that she wasn't alone. She slowly crawled closer to the broken God as he tried to heal himself.

"Why?" she asked simply.

Sweat trickled down his brow as his arm straightened out, the bones knitting themselves back together. "Why what?"

She sat at a distance that she felt was safe, her arms wrapped around her legs as she tried to keep herself covered. "You almost got yourself killed so that you could control me instead of the Cruel Angel. I would have thought you would want Belldandy more than anyone, since you were her mentor. Why do you want me so badly?"

"I told you, I have a mission to complete, and I need your help." He gingerly rolled into a sitting position, massaging his left hand back into its proper shape. "You are Belldandy's little sister, and I don't want you to loose your soul. I don't want you to spend eternity within Cthulhu."

"Cthulhu?" Skuld had never heard that name before. She wanted to ask, but Celestine shook his head.

"Never mind that now," he said, finally standing. His healing programs had mended his bones, but he looked extraordinarily tired. "We don't have any more time. I don't have enough power now to force your soul into the seal. You must submit to it. Any resistance will prevent your mind from resting during the seal. Your soul may be partially bound and driven into insanity. Or you may not sleep the way you should, leaving you awake to see everything that happens around you, but unable to change it."

Deep down, she was grateful that Celestine had saved her from further torture, but that didn't make him any less of an enemy. The Goddess didn't trust him, and she couldn't help being afraid of what he might do to her, or what he might use her to do. "How do I know that you won't use me to lead my sisters to the Cruel Angel?"

"You don't," he answered frankly, doing little to ease her concerns. "I'm afraid that you are just going to have to trust me."

* * *

"So you guys are really going to try and hoof it all the way back to Iwakuni?" Ergaddas shook his head. "That's a long way to go. I'm still amazed that your group made it all the way here."

Captain Ramos grinned a bit. "Yeah, it was a heck of a long road, but they're going to need us back there. If we wind up moving the civilians from the air station to here or Yokosuka, we're going to need every man we can get to guard them."

The God looked over at the human as they continued their walk to the Temple. "Well, I don't think it would be too difficult to have one of our raiding parties go part-way with you, just in case. Unfortunately there's no way we could go all the way there with you, we just couldn't spare the men for that long."

"I'd be happy with any help you could offer, even if it's only a couple of miles out," Ramos told him.

The Templar was about to say that it was nothing when he heard a strange noise. Concentrating, he tried to figure out what the faint sounds were.

"Something wrong?" Ramos asked.

Ergaddas shook his head. "Well, I think I hear Morisato up ahead. I don't know, it sounds odd. It's like he's grunting or something."

"Well, maybe he's doing push-ups," the man said simply. They looked at each other for a moment before bursting into laughter.

Approaching the gate, they quieted down, listening as well as they could. As they came into the yard, the pair couldn't help but grin in wonder at the sight.

Gunny Taff and Keiichi were facing each other in tight fighting stances. They were taking turns kicking each other in the leg, and from the looks of it they weren't holding back much. Keiichi grunted with effort as he swung his rear leg forward, and moaned in pain each time the older man kicked back. The Marine made hardly any noise at all, save a few words correcting Keiichi on his form.

Ergaddas looked over at Ramos who was smiling, looking on with a tinge of pride. The Templar found himself wanting to chuckle. Not at the style of combat or how badly Keiichi was performing it. On the contrary, the diminutive mortal looked somewhat competent. What was truly amusing to Erg was that Morisato was doing something like this at all. In the few times that the Templar had met Keiichi, it had mostly consisted of the mortal serving tea or working on some machine in the city. The young Japanese man had never really seemed the fighting type.

But he looked different now. Not just the stance or the kicks, it was his eyes. There was a look of determination, one might even say fierceness, in Keiichi's eyes that Ergaddas hadn't expected to see. It struck the Templar as odd.

"Ah, Captain," Taff called out, ending the training session, "I didn't expect you until later."

"It's alright, Gunny," Ramos waved his hands. "I was just going to wait inside until word came back from Yokusuka, but it looks like this is the place to be." He turned to look at Keiichi with an amused grin. "Looks like Gunny Taff's puttin you through the ringer!"

Keiichi, who was limping up to Taff's side, showed a strained smile. "It definitely feels that way, sir. He's not cutting me any slack."

Taff nodded. "Yeah, we were talking the other day about how he wanted to be able to fight, so I figured I'd help him out a little."

Ergaddas was impressed. He hadn't met all that many humans who were willing to take the difficult path of the warrior. "So, Morisato," the Templar spoke, "what makes you want to be stronger?"

It was a simple question, but one that most would have difficulty answering truthfully. Even a Templar would have to think a minute before giving a real answer. Keiichi didn't hesitate, though. His voice was clear and decisive as he answered. "I'm tired of sitting around here while the Templars and the Marines go head to head with the bad guys. I'm sick of not being able to do anything. I want to be able to protect the ones I care about, and I know that I'm not good enough to do it yet."

Ergaddas smiled broadly. He clapped the short human on the shoulder, causing him to stagger a bit. "An excellent answer, Morisato. There's more to you than meets the eye, it seems. I'd like to see what kind of warrior you can make." Cracking his knuckles, the God placed his hands near Keiichi's sternum. Realizing that he was getting a strange look, the Templar told him, "It'll only take a minute." Receiving a nod, Erg proceeded with the program.

True to his word, a minute later the God removed his hands. Keiichi began to move his limbs about, stretching and eventually hopping without any trace of discomfort. "It's something I learned after I had been in the Templar order for several years. It causes accelerated reconstruction of the muscle tissue, so you don't have to wait two or three days to recover from your training."

The Captain laughed. "I wish I had something like that when I was in OCS!" Walking up to Keiichi, he patted the young man on the shoulder. "Would you mind sparring a little with me, now that you're good as new? I need a little practice myself."

Watching from the side as the pair began fighting, Ergaddas chuckled and shook his head. Just a couple of months ago he, like most other Templars, held the human race in rather low esteem. After seeing them struggle to survive in this devastated world, though, he had to admit he was rather impressed. Keiichi Morisato was yet another human who had surprised the God, and one who was starting to genuinely earn the Templar's respect.

* * *

A/N:

I know, I suck. I've been busy, and will probably continue to be busy in the foreseeable future. I do intend to get the next chapter out well before another month has passed. All I can say is sorry for the massive slowdown.

Well, this finally puts me over 100k words. Hooray! Thank you to everyone who has kept up with this so far. I am humbled by your continued support.

For anyone who is wondering, in the second to the last paragraph when Ramos says 'OCS', he's talking about Officer Candidate School. Think of it as boot camp for officers, since that's pretty much what it is.

Celestine is a character from the OMG movie. I thought he was a pretty cool villain, and I had some interesting plans for him. At least, I hope they're interesting.

Cthulhu is something that was cooked up by the visionary mind of H. P. Lovecraft. That's about all there is to say there. I would highly recommend reading Lovecraft's works, as they are quite cool (a little dated, but still awesome).

I'm really freaking tired right now, so that's it for the author's notes. I hope you guys liked the chapter. I'll try to get the next one out as soon as I can.

Please let me know what you think, and I'll see you all next chapter.

Katamari Damacy


	22. Arc II Chap 12 Need for Company

_Arc II: Chapter Twelve_

_Need for Company_

"Belldandy?"

She quickly looked up from her cooking, putting forth a first rate effort to be cheerful. Considering the circumstances with her missing siblings, it was a difficult task. "Keiichi! You're home!" Her smile faded when she saw him, and she looked at him with a confused concern.

He was wearing a pair of camouflaged trousers and an olive green jacket. She knew he had been training himself with the military men in Nekomi. She couldn't say she approved, but he seemed so determined to continue that she could do nothing but support him. He had come in with bruises and scrapes several times over the previous couple of days, and she had diligently erased them all. Despite those minor wounds, he had never come back with the look he now wore.

"Bell, I really need to talk to you about something," he stated. "Do you have a minute?"

She nodded silently and followed him through the temple house. He slid shut the door to his room once they were inside, but he didn't turn to face her. All he did was sigh.

"Keiichi?" Belldandy couldn't keep quiet. It was painfully obvious that something was weighing heavily on him, and she wanted to know what it was. Otherwise, how was she supposed to help him? "What's the matter? Has something happened?"

"Bell," he started slowly, still facing away from her. "You know I've been working with the Marines the last few days, doing some training, that sort of thing." The Goddess nodded, though he couldn't see her. "They're getting ready to go back to Iwakuni. Captain Ramos thinks that they'll probably bring everyone back here to Nekomi since Yokusuka couldn't support so many people. It's going to be really dangerous, and there's a good chance that a lot of them won't make it back here, but they're going to go anyway. Those men are going to put their lives on the line to bring their friends and family to safety. They're fighting to protect the ones they love."

Reaching forward, she placed a gentle hand on his back. "Keiichi, dear, they're doing what they must. We all are. You shouldn't feel that you need to prove yourself because of it."

"But I do, Bell!" He whirled around, the pain and conflict evident on his face. "You're safe, and you could protect yourself better than I ever could! I…I can't do anything to help you."

"That's not true, my love," she shook her head emphatically.

"It is true," he answered her firmly. "I can't help you." He paused for a moment, his eyes wandering to the side. "But I can help them."

Her breath caught in her throat as she felt her stomach do an uncomfortable flip. Fear tickled the edges of her mind as she realized what he was telling her. "You want to go with them." Her whisper was more a statement than a question. She felt a stinging in her eyes as her head began to slowly lower. Reaching out and wrapping her arms around his neck, she embraced him as tightly as she ever had. She could barely speak as she struggled to hold back her tears. "I-I don't want you to g-go. I d-don't want anything to happen t-to you!"

He held her, stroking her back soothingly, though it did little to calm her. "I have to do this, Bell. They need all the help they can get to keep those people safe. If I can help them to keep just one more person alive, then I have to go."

"No," she said, pulling him even tighter. "If something happened to you…" She vaguely felt the tears trail down her cheeks. She took a deep breath to steady herself, but her fears overcame her. Bursting into sobs, her legs gave up and her full weight collapsed onto him. He slowly lowered her to the floor, and she felt him kiss the top of her head as she cried into his chest. "Don't go. You're the only thing I have left!"

She wasn't sure how long they sat there like that, but Keiichi stayed quiet. He smoothed her hair and rocked back and forth with her. The Goddess finally began to calm down, and she realized what she had said. Belldandy felt very embarrassed at the selfish things she had said, but the fact that they were all true made it even worse. Keeping her face hidden against him, she spoke quietly. "You won't change your mind about this?"

"I'm sorry, Belldandy," he answered just as softly. "We're leaving tomorrow."

Barely containing the urge to begin sobbing again, it took her a few seconds to put her feelings into words. "Keiichi, I'm afraid for you. I'm afraid that something will take you away from me forever."

"I know, I'm scared, too. I don't want to leave your side, even for a moment." She felt the back of his fingers softly run down her cheek. "If we could ride out this whole thing here together, just like we are now, I would thank God every second of every day. But this is a war. If I don't do what I can right now, I could never forgive myself. I don't have enough power to protect the one I love, but I can help others to protect their loved ones."

There was several seconds of silence before the Goddess spoke again. "I understand," she said reluctantly, "but I'm still afraid to loose you. Urd and Skuld are gone, and I have no idea if I'll ever see them again. If you…"

"You'll definitely see them again, Bell," he interrupted her. "You'll find them both, and you'll be a happy family again when this is all over. And I'll be there, too. No matter what comes between us, I will find my way back to you again. I promise."

"Keiichi," she asked quietly, "can we stay like this? I want to be with you until the very last moment before you leave."

Keiichi chuckled a bit. "Absolutely. We'll stay here as long as the woman I love wants."

Doing her best to push away all her worries and fears, she filled her mind with memories of him. She felt his presence next to her, felt the rise and fall of his chest, and the rhythm of his heartbeat. She counted the seconds, but time seemed to blur and melt together. All thoughts of crying and loss had vanished. The entire universe consisted of the two of them. "I love you so very much, Keiichi. I love you with everything that I am."

"I love you too, Belldandy. I'll love you till the end of time, no matter what."

The whistle of the tea kettle jolted the blue eyed Goddess from her memories. Blinking the tears away, she moved the kettle and returned to making lunch.

It had been two days since Keiichi and the Marines left on their march back to Iwakuni. She had thought of him often since he left, but sometimes she would feel his absence acutely. It was at those times, like now, that a part of her mind wondered if he really would make it back home.

"No," she stated firmly. "He will defiantly come back. He promised that he would."

"You alright?" Marler's voice filled the kitchen as she sniffed the pleasant aromas of lunch. "You don't usually talk to yourself."

"It's nothing, Marler." She put on a brave smile, again busying herself with the food. "I was just thinking about Keiichi."

The Demon snorted. "You're still worried about him? You're gonna get wrinkles, you know. Anyway, that kid has the devil's own luck…er, so to speak."

Bell knew that in her own, roundabout way, Marler was trying to cheer her up, but she didn't feel like talking about it. "Could you go see how the boys are doing? And could you let them know that lunch is almost ready?" Noticing the flat stare she was receiving, she added, "I have to finish making the food. Please, Marler?"

Groaning, the blonde woman rolled her head around. "Fine, whatever. But don't expect this to happen on a regular basis! I'm a Demon first class, not your message girl!"

* * *

Odin watched carefully as the fight played out. With nearly blinding speed the two maneuvered, lashing out with their weapons and slipping out of the way of the counter.

Gilgamesh and Keos had been like this for two days. Over and over again they would spar, doing everything they could to get in a clean hit with their practice swords. They would take ten or fifteen minute breaks between bouts, but besides that the pair would refuse to stop for almost anything.

Keos had been all smiles when he came back from his raid. He and his subordinates had a fruitful excursion, and stories immediately began to spread about their little monster hunt. It was a much needed boost to morale. However, it didn't take long for word to get out about the actions of Urd, and the Templars began to feel as if yet another of their leaders had betrayed them.

Oddly enough, it seemed that the one affected by this news most was Keos. Odin wasn't sure why exactly, but the God who was being praised as a new hero of the Templars seemed downhearted, almost depressed, when he found out about Urd. He just sat on the temple wall the rest of the day, staring out at the grey horizon. Things didn't improve much the next day.

Belldandy had returned with Marler and Gil, and Odin immediately knew something terrible had happened. From the looks on their faces and the absence of the young, raven haired Goddess, he knew she had been lost before they said anything.

Keos and Gil spent a few hours on the wall, talking. Odin learned later that it had been the first time in nearly a month that the two friends had seen each other, and a great deal had happened in the meantime. It wasn't long before the old Templar stepped outside to see the two sparring in the yard.

"Ahh," Gilgamesh yelped, "damn it!"

Keos stepped back, out of breath and covered in sweat despite the icy cold, but not looking particularly concerned as his partner hunched forward. Gil was holding his left side, wheezing as he massaged the ribs that had very nearly been fractured by Keos' strike.

"Keos, yer transition looks better. Ye've got more o'yer weight behind tha side slash now." The older of the two sparring partners bowed slightly in response, remaining quiet. Stepping closer, Odin shook his head. "I though' we'd dealt with this problem, Gilgamesh." The old Templar's voice was as stern as his weathered expression, causing Gil to straighten up despite the pain. "Yer swing was too wide again. Ye gave yer enemy all day to take his shot! If this 'ad been fer real, you'd ah been cut in half, an there's no healin' program that'll fix that!"

Panting through his grit teeth, the younger warrior was red with embarrassment. "I understand, sir. I was careless. I won't make such a novice mistake again."

"See that ye don't," Odin replied coolly as he moved back to his observation position. As he walked away from them, he couldn't help but sigh. His two students seemed to prefer this more authoritarian method of training, but Odin was growing tired of it. Things were harsh enough as they were, and the old God wanted little more than to take some time to relax when he was away from his duties. These two weren't having it, though. They seemed to thrive under the strict instruction, taking everything Odin told them to heart.

As he turned back to the two, he saw that they were already in position, ready to strike. Odin felt a small smile as he wondered if it was his age that made him feel tired just watching them, or if it was their youthful zeal that was keeping them going beyond the point of exhaustion. _Maybe I'm jus' gettin' too old fer this._ "Ready," he called out. "Begin!"

In a flash they were at it again. The bout had only been going for a few minutes before a voice drew part of the elder God's attention.

"How're they doing?"

"Very well, lass," Odin replied without looking over at Marler. "Seems like they get better ev'ry time. Both tha lads 'ave their weak points, but they're improvin."

She stopped next to the huge God, watching the match as closely as she could. "I was talking more along the lines of their mental states."

He allowed himself to glance questioningly at the Demon, then chuckled a bit. "I knew ye were goin' soft."

"Hardly," she grunted unhappily at the accusation. "Belldandy wanted to know. She's still finishing lunch, so she couldn't come out here herself."

"So ye offered ta come out ere outta the kindness o' yer heart?" He felt her punch his right arm. Letting out a mock yelp as he rubbed the impact zone, he smiled as the frustration practically oozed out of her.

"Shut up! It's not like that at all!" She crossed her arms huffily, her jaw set angrily as she looked away. "I'm a Demon. I live to make people miserable."

He couldn't help grinning at the reaction he got from her. He had actually rather enjoyed Marler's company since he had arrived on Earth. She certainly didn't seem to act like most Demons he had met. He quickly found out that she had a fiery temper, though, and she was plucky enough to get in Odin's face. Of course, the first time she did it, Marler turned white as a sheet afterward, as if he might reach out and crush her with one hand. Instead he just laughed, and the pair's odd sort of working relationship started from there.

"So are you going to tell me how they're doing, or do I have to go ask them myself?" Her impatience amused the old man as it often did, but the subject was a little too serious to laugh about.

"They won't stop," he replied as his smile faded. "They jus keep pushin themselves ta keep goin. I suppose they jus don't want ta think about what's been goin on. With Urd gone an now what happened ta young Skuld, I canna blame them."

"So let me guess," she said, "the idiot still thinks Skuld getting taken is his fault? You need to knock some sense into him, you know. He isn't all powerful, and having a dirty trick played on you isn't a reason to be ashamed. If he doesn't get over himself soon, he's not going to be any use to us at all."

Odin shook his head. "It's not as simple as ye make it out, lass."

"Whatever," she spoke impatiently. "Lunch is almost ready. Make them come in and eat before they starve to death." She turned and headed back toward the house.

Calling back over his shoulder, Odin asked, "Don't ye want ta know how tha other one's doin? I only told ye about Gilgamesh."

The Demon spun around, and he could almost see the veins popping out as she yelled angrily, "I could care less about that stupid bastard! He can wait till tomorrow to eat!" With that, she stormed into the temple house.

Chuckling a little, Odin turned toward the two fighters. "Tha's it, boys," he called out to them, raising his hand. "Practice is over. Go inside an get ye somethin' ta eat."

The pair both stopped in mid swing, looking over at their instructor. "But Lord Odin," Keos protested, "I've still got to work on shifting my balance on the side strokes."

Gil nodded. "I still have to practice not swinging out too wide."

"Tha reason tha two o' ye can't get it right is cause yer too damn tired to do it properly," the old warrior told them. They were about to argue again, but he cut them off firmly. "I said trainin is over for today. When was tha last time ye slept? Two days ago?" The two younger Gods looked sideways at each other. "Tha's what I thought. Get somethin ta eat and go ta sleep. Tha's an order."

"Well," Keos said as he set his practice blade over his shoulder, "I guess we could use some of Lady Belldandy's cooking." He paused for a second, looking worried all of a sudden. "It _is_ Lady Belldandy's cooking, isn't it?" His voice betrayed a small amount of fear. "I mean, it's not that Demon's cooking, right?"

Odin laughed at the question, and even Gilgamesh managed a small smile. "No, lad, it's young Bell's food."

Keos wiped the sweat from his brow, though it was only for show. "Whew! Dodged a bullet there, didn't we, Gil?"

"I think you're getting a little giddy from lack of sleep," Gil replied, the tiny smile still on his lips.

Laughing again, the white bearded God put a massive hand on each of their shoulders. "It's good ta hear tha two of ye crack a couple ah jokes. Don't let all tha's happened weigh ye down. If yer serious all tha time, it's gonna be borin' ta teach you two." Gilgamesh's smile grew a bit, and he heard a snort from Keos. "C'mon, lads, let's eat."

"Ah, if you don't mind," Gil spoke up, "I think I'm going to take a bath before I eat. Could you tell Belldandy that I'll be there as soon as I'm done?"

"Sure, lad," he nodded with a grin, "Jus don't take too long, or ye'll miss out on another civilized discussion between Keos an Marler."

* * *

Gilgamesh groaned as the hot water enveloped him, a welcome change from the winter chill outside. He was suddenly aware of the tightness of his tired muscles and the aching in his bones. Well, he was still feeling that shot to his ribs, but even they were starting to feel better as the cold began to drain out of him.

Sinking beneath the surface, Gil felt as if the water was burning his face, but he quickly grew used to the heat. Slowly raising his head again, he slowly took in a lungful of the warm steam rising from the surface. It all felt amazingly good, but he felt no contentment at all.

_Skuld…_

Shaking his head, the young Templar berated himself. "No use in getting depressed, Gil. Living in that moment won't help anyone," he whispered. He knew those words to be true, but no matter how hard he tried, his idle thoughts always returned to her. The look of fear in her eyes when she was taken.

"No," he spoke again, his words more forceful, "there are things I have to do. I can't keep dwelling on things I can't change. I have to focus."

_Revenge…_

That Cruel Angel bastard and his army, they would pay for all this. Xander was killed, Skuld kidnapped, and now Ex had been murdered. Gil had been surprised and angered to find Sephiroth had been convicted as the traitor. Was it really all his fault? Was he the one who triggered this whole war to begin with? "Is Sephiroth really the one I want to kill?" He wasn't sure, but someone had to pay, right?

"_Promise me that you won't try anything until you've talked with me about it first."_

Belldandy's words flashed through his turbulent thoughts, having an oddly calming effect. His brain began to leave thoughts of vengeance behind as he tiredly leaned his head back against the rim of the bath. As his body and soul calmed, he began to think more rationally. _Belldandy seems to have her doubts about Sephiroth's guilt, and Lady Urd's opinion is pretty obvious. I suppose I should hold my judgment until I know more. _

Satisfied with his decision, his exhausted mind began to wander, flitting from memory to memory. Times he spent with Xander that Summer. One night several years before when Gil and Ex had gone on a date. _That was an awkward night…_ The hours he had spent talking with Skuld by the Great Waterfalls in Heaven.

A ghost of a smile came to his lips as he slipped into his dreams.

* * *

Marler floated down the hallway to Urd's room. She thought maybe playing a video game would help calm her down after eating lunch with _him_. Even so, she couldn't think of anything she actually wanted to play. There wasn't anything else to do, though, except helping Belldandy with the dishes, and that was out of the question. Video games it was.

Sliding the door open, she could only blink in surprise before her eyes narrowed.

"What the hell are you doing in here, you bastard?"

Keos, who was laying in the floor with his back to her, said nothing. He didn't even shift, as if he was oblivious to her presence. Irritated, she floated forward, ready to tear into a new argument about ignoring her. She paused, though, a devilish grin growing.

The God's eyes were closed and his cloak was pulled around him. There was no futon or blanket, or even a pillow, but he was definitely asleep. Unable to believe her good fortune, she reached out her index finger and poked his cheek several times. When his breathing didn't change, a quiet, dark laugh began to fill the room.

"Ooohh, I've been waiting for an opportunity like this! It's hard to believe he crashed so hard in only a few minutes!" Her fangs were visible as she smiled gleefully. Making a brief search of the room, she found her weapon of vengeance. "He's going to be so pissed about this one!" She could barely keep her cackling to a low volume as she uncapped the permanent marker.

Moving in close, she thought of a hundred different humiliating things to draw, a thousand dirty words to write. "Maybe 'I heart Urd' would be good!" The Demon snickered at the idea. She would finally have a big win in their private little war. But something was wrong. She hesitated.

_What the hell's the matter? _ Her thoughts echoed around her mind as the felt tip hovered just off his brow. The smell of the marker filled her nose. All she had to do was lean forward and move her hand. She realized, as her smile faded and the marker moved away, that she didn't want to.

Groaning, she plopped back on her haunches. "What the hell's wrong with me? I'm a Demon, for Hild's sake! What's so hard about drawing on this bastard who won't even call me by my name? He's been asking for it ever since I met him!"

Her red eyes scanned his sleeping face. The blue marks, his black hair, his half open mouth, everything about the Templar made her want to kick him. She wondered if kicking him would be easier than doodling on his face, but quickly shelved the idea.

_It's cause Urd's gone,_ she thought with a nod. "Yeah, Urd and Skuld are gone, so everyone's already unhappy enough. So my job's been done for me!" No sooner did the words leave her mouth than her shoulders slumped. "Who am I kidding?"

Looking up at the sleeping God again, she felt her face heat up with irritation. Floating up, she moved over to the door, then hesitated again. Looking over her shoulder, the blonde sighed again. "Damn it," she muttered, moving over to the closet.

A bundle flew halfway across the room and landed on Keos, who still didn't stir a bit. The barely unfolded blanket covered his head and most of his torso, leaving everything from the waist down. Even if he had been awake, the blanket would have muffled the quiet voice of the Demon as she left the room.

"Jerk."

* * *

Belldandy quietly cleaned the dishes, alone with her thoughts. Of course, most of those thoughts were of Keiichi, but a few others found their way in and out of her mind.

She frequently dwelled on her sisters, both of whom she was very worried about. Skuld was in the hands of the enemy, and as far as Heaven was concerned, Urd had joined the enemy. It was difficult for the Goddess to know what to make of either situation, though what little she knew didn't make her feel any better.

Placing another tea cup back into place with a small _tink_, she tried to push her loneliness away. All her life she'd had someone close to her. Her sisters, Celestine, Odin, and in the last few years Keiichi had been there as well. Now she found herself without anyone familiar to lean on, and it was very trying for the Goddess.

Uncle Odin was there, yes, but she tried not to bother him with such things. Marler wasn't really the type of person to provide emotional support. And Gilgamesh…he needed someone to be his anchor more than she did.

A shuffling from the tea room drew her attention. Looking around the door from the kitchen, she saw a sullen looking Marler crossing to the back door. "I thought you were going to Urd's room?"

"Changed my mind," she grumbled in reply, not looking at the Goddess. "I'm going out for a while."

"Oh, I see," Bell said, "Well, have a safe trip."

The door slid shut behind the Demon, and Belldandy was once again alone in the quiet house. She sighed quietly as her eyes again fell on the uneaten meal still on the table. The cold food had been for Gilgamesh, but he hadn't appeared to claim it yet. "It's been over an hour since everyone finished their lunch," she spoke to herself, glancing at the clock. "Surely he's not still taking a bath?"

Forgetting the few dishes that remained to be washed, she wandered deeper into the temple house. The place was almost too quiet, the only sound was of her bare feet gently thumping on the cold wooden floor. She could vaguely feel the melancholy of the temple itself, missing the love and laughter it had known before the Cruel Angel had appeared. It mirrored her feelings so exactly that, for a moment, she had difficulty separating the two. Reaching out, the Goddess gently ran her hand along the wall, reminding the house that someone still cared for it. Belldandy thought she could feel its gratitude, though it was hard to tell. The noise of the Cruel Angel's voices was difficult to ignore.

Slowly approaching the door to the bath, she hesitated a moment before knocking. "Gilgamesh?" There was a sudden thump and the sound of sloshing water. "Are you alright?"

"Er…yeah," came his muffled response. "Fine. I'll be there in a minute."

"Alright then," she nodded before turning back to the Tea Room. She quickly heated some water and was just pouring some fresh tea when the young Templar entered. Belldandy saw that his face was red, but she wasn't sure if it was from embarrassment or being in the hot water for too long.

"I'm sorry," he bowed as he spoke, "I kind of fell asleep. The water was just so relaxing, and I haven't slept well lately, and…" She interrupted him with a smile.

"You don't need to apologize for anything, Gilgamesh. I know how hard a time you've had the last few days. It's been hard for me, too."

He took particular care with his robes as he sat down, avoiding her eyes as he spoke quietly. "I just didn't want to offend you or anything."

"You haven't. Your only punishment for being late is that your food is cold." The Goddess smiled at him while sliding a cup of tea over to him, leaving a faint trail of steam. "But I made some fresh tea for you, so you can't complain."

A small chuckle escaped him as he looked at his lunch. "I would never complain about anything you prepared. Heck, most would give their right eyes to have some of your cooking." Taking the cup in his hand, he brought it to his nose to take in the scent. "Even your tea is like a little slice of Heaven here on Earth. I consider myself lucky to get anything."

A hint of color appeared in her cheeks as he sang the praises of her work. "Hurry and eat or the tea will get cold, too!"

The God didn't need to be told twice, and he tore into his meal as if he had just remembered how famished he was. It wasn't long before she quietly stood and went to the kitchen. Scraping out the last of the rice from the steamer, she almost managed to fill another bowl. When she returned to her seat and pushed the bowl in front of the Templar, his eyes held a mix of surprise and delight.

"After seeing how Keos ate, I decided I should keep a little extra for you, just in case." He bowed his head a little, mumbling something that sounded like thanks around a mouth stuffed with bread and fish. Though he didn't notice, her smile faded slightly as he ate. Belldandy sat for several minutes, wanting to say something but unsure exactly how to put it into words. As he was finishing off his final grains of rice, she finally spoke up. "Gilgamesh?"

He made a sort of 'hmm?' noise to let her know he was listening, though he still appeared to be focused on the inside of his rice bowl, searching for anything that might have escaped.

"You said that you had trouble sleeping." He stopped, peering over his bowl at her. "Is it because of…"

"Yeah," he answered before she finished, setting his rice bowl on the table with a troubled look. "I keep seeing that cloaked God taking her away. I see Ex, too. She has this peaceful look on her face, like she's only sleeping." His voice was tight now. "It's only-it's hard to be alone in times like these, you know?"

"We don't have to stand alone," she answered gently. "You are a strong person, Gilgamesh, but anyone would have a hard time with everything that has happened. I'm having trouble with it, too, but if we lean on each other it won't hurt so much."

He acted surprised, as if it had never occurred to him that she would not be able to stand by herself in the storm of evil they were riding through. Looking back at the table, he wavered for a moment before saying anything. "I don't know if it's my place to say this, but if you need someone to…well, talk to or anything," he squirmed as he spoke, a furious blush burning on his features, "I'll be around. I don't know how much help I would be for something like that, but I'll give it a shot."

"Thank you, Gilgamesh." She reached over and squeezed his hand. The Goddess thought she could almost see the discomfort melt away from him. "And you can speak to me about anything, as well. Whenever you want, I'll be there for you, too."

The unexpected ring of the phone drew their attention. "I'll be right back," she said a little quicker than she had intended, but if Gil noticed, he gave no indication. He simply nodded as she trotted out to the hallway. "Hello? Morisato residence."

"Belldandy," came the familiar voice, "how are you holding up?"

Peorth knew about Keiichi's departure, and had promised Bell that he would be carefully monitored from Heaven. It was a nice gesture, especially since they both knew it was against the rules to use Yggdrasil for such a reason ("Regulations be damned!" had been the exact phrase Peorth had used.). Still, it didn't do much to fill the void of his absence. "You shouldn't worry yourself about me, Peorth. I'll feel much better when he comes back home." _When he's back in my arms, and I'm in his._

A short, tired laugh came through the line. "That's true. I know I gave up trying to win his heart from you, but I think I'll feel more at ease when he's back in Nekomi, too."

A short silence fell between them before Bell tentatively asked, "Is that why you called?"

"Actually, it wasn't," she sighed. "I wanted to talk to you about something important. In person." Belldandy tilted her head in curiosity, wondering what it could be that Peorth wanted to speak to her about face to face. "Can you come up here when the next gate opens? My shift will be ending right about then, so you won't have to wait long."

"Yes, I'll return with the next gate," she replied calmly. She couldn't keep her worry out of her next words, however. "Is it…is there something wrong?"

Peorth paused for a moment before speaking seriously, "I'd rather not say over the phone. We'll talk when you get up here." There was another pause, then, in a somewhat more gentle tone, "Try not to worry, Bell." With that, the line disconnected, leaving Belldandy with an unpleasant nervousness.

"What was all that about?" She turned toward Gilgamesh as she set the phone back on the hook. He was looking at he expectantly.

"It's nothing to worry about," she told him, though she wasn't sure she really believed that. "Peorth just wanted to talk with me. I'll be back later tonight."

He raised an eyebrow, "You plan on going by yourself?"

She waved her hand dismissively, "I'll be fine, Gilgamesh, I'm just going to Yggdrasil and coming right back. There's nothing for you to worry about."

He crossed his arms, and she could see that he was trying to be firm and still respectful at the same time. "I told you that I would stay by your side until we got Skuld back. I don't care if you're going to see the Almighty Himself, I'm going to keep you safe until she comes back to us."

As she looked at him standing there, puffed up and trying to look intimidating, she knew that the Templar would back down at a word from her. But she also knew that he would do nothing but worry if she left him behind. She gave a small shake of her head as a tiny smile came to her lips. "If it would make you feel better."

He nodded, the relief apparent. "It would."

* * *

"The Templar Draft Initiative was ratified by the Council with only a few dissenting votes," Marduk continued with little variation in his tone. "In addition, the Relief Goddess Resources petition was filed again, despite the fact that their office has already been given all the resources that Yggdrasil could spare. It will likely be voted down at the beginning of next week."

Chancellor Marduk stood silently after completing his report, lowering the folder he read from ever so slightly. He was waiting for acknowledgement of the information he had brought, but the form that sat before him remained silent and unmoving.

The Almighty was beginning to look a little ragged, there was no other way to describe it. It was as if the Lord of All was somehow frayed around the edges, worn thin. The constant use of His power was starting to get to Him, that much was plain to Marduk. The Almighty sat still in the shaped stone of His throne, His head tilted down and eyes closed. The head of the Council of Heaven stood there for several minutes, unsure whether he should break the silence or not. Finally he cleared his throat a bit, speaking quietly, "My Lord, are you alright?"

Something between a grunt and a sigh came from the seated form, but nothing else. Marduk decided to continue. "With all due respect, my Lord, you seem very tired."

"Of course I'm tired, Marduk," the Almighty answered wearily, "The Cruel Angel has not let up his assault since this war began. I am holding the barriers, but he is growing stronger with each passing minute, with every soul he consumes. I can continue a while longer like this, but eventually even _my_ powers will give out."

"Perhaps, Lord, it is time to change our strategy a bit," the Chancellor spoke cautiously, but with a twinge of hope.

The Lord still didn't look up at him. "What do you suggest this time, Marduk?"

Taking a deep breath, Marduk was careful not to speak too quickly or slowly. "My Lord, I know I've said this before, but I believe we should take a more offensive stance against the Cruel Angel. We must stir our forces from their defensive stupor and rouse them into an attack that can weaken the enemy, and give us some room to breathe."

"No," the Almighty spoke firmly as His eyes opened for the first time in this meeting. "He is too powerful for the Templars to face. Even if the most powerful members of the Council itself entered the battle with them, it would be to no avail, and we would loose far too many that we cannot afford to be without."

"Almighty, you cannot keep this up forever. You said so yourself." Marduk had to fight himself to keep from wiping his sweaty palms on his robes. "I have a plan that could let us accomplish this without taking unacceptable losses, if you will hear me out, my Lord." Waiting for a brief nod, he continued. "We will not commit the Templars to battle the Cruel Angel directly. Instead they will increase the power and numbers of their raids. They will be able to do far more damage against his monsters this way, and thin their numbers enough for us to organize a true offensive against him."

"Do you take the Cruel Angel for a fool?" The Almighty's look intensified, His mild annoyance at the obvious oversight in the plan made Marduk rather nervous. "He may not care about those things, but he will not simply stand by and watch as we slaughter so many of his forces. He will not allow us to put him at such a disadvantage."

"I anticipated that he would react to this strategy, and I have a solution to that problem! The Cruel Angel will not be able to interfere with out plans because he will not be able to," Marduk could no longer keep all the excitement from his voice, nor his nervousness. The Almighty arched an eyebrow at His Chancellor's statement, prompting further explanation. "Just as we begin our attacks, we will strike at the very heart of the spiritual disturbances with Yggdrasil. A shot from Gungnir will at least distract the Cruel Angel long enough for our offensive action, even if it doesn't do any actual damage to him. While the enemy recovers from the Gungnir blast, our forces will be destroying vast numbers of his army of creatures. All it has to do is stun or distract him for a little while and our plan will work!"

The Almighty stared at him for an uncomfortable moment, and Marduk feared an outright refusal would come. The Lord instead sighed as He closed His eyes again. "Do you understand how dangerous this could be? It might do nothing more than provoke him to renew his attacks on the humans. We could very well end up in a worse position than we are already in."

Marduk held his report folder in one as he clenched the other into a fist at his side. "We are running out of time, Lord! I know this course has risks, but I feel this is necessary for us to emerge victorious from these dark days." He hesitated for a moment, reigning in his emotions before speaking in the persuasive and resonating voice he used in the Council. "Do I have your permission to proceed, Almighty?"

The minutes passing felt like years to the Chancellor, standing there, hearing no sound other than the hammering of his own heart. Sweat was beginning to dampen his entire body, and more than once he had to remind himself to breathe.

"Very well, Chancellor," He answered finally, his voice heavy with reluctance. "You may proceed with your plan. Be very careful that things do not become worse than they already are."

"Yes, my Lord," the words came quickly, relieved that the plan would be set in motion. "I will see to it immediately. By your leave." He bowed low, turned, and strode away from the Almighty's Sanctuary. A broad smile decorated his lips.

* * *

A/N:

Nope, you didn't loose me. I'm still here, and I'm still quite intent on finishing this story. I hope none of you ran off because of my absence.

There's not a whole lot to say here except for: Sorry I took so darn long.

Also, for anyone who cares, this chapter actually uses some material from the last _original_ chapter that I wrote the first time. In other words, most of the next chapter will be completely new stuff, and all the chapters after that will be delivered to you still in the wrapper.

To NavyPolice83, I can see how you would think that considering how quick I had the previous chapters out. I hope you have enough patience to wait things out while I get the rest done.

All other reviewers, I should have already responded directly. If not, I'm sorry.

I can't remember if I already said this, so I'll say it again just in case. I want to do a little omake style chapter soon, probably at the end of this arc. It'll be as much for my enjoyment as for yours, so look forward to it!

That's all for now. Thanks for reading, and I'll see you next chapter (hopefully that will be really soon!),

Katamari Damacy


	23. Arc II Chap 13 Hour of Darkness Pt I

Important Notice!: This chapter is a little more harsh than you've seen to this point in the story. There is some mild language, violence, and death. Please be aware of this before you start this chapter.

_Arc II: Chapter Thirteen_

_Hour of Darkness (Part One)_

Keiichi's legs were like rubber, and the helmet he thought was light a couple days ago now felt like it was made of lead. His pack was digging into his shoulders, cutting off circulation to his arms and making his fingers tingle. It was hard to keep a grip on the rifle in his hands, not that he knew much more than how to load and fire it. It had taken him several hours to figure out how to hook his right thumb over a loop on the front of his flack jacket while the M-16's pistol grip rested in his fingers. It took most of the weight of the rifle from his arms, and he suddenly felt as though he could carry it twice as far. At least as long as his legs held up.

Keiichi had turned to inform the Marine behind him about his discovery, only to see that the man's thumb was already in the loop. Glancing around, he could see that the majority were doing the same. He wondered how many other little tricks and techniques like that the Marines had.

Over the days of the march across southern Japan, he discovered some of those tricks to make life easier. The young college student was amazed at the system they had developed, with men stepping forward to take care of things that he hadn't even thought of, and they did it without anybody even saying a word about it. Setting up perimeters, taking turns eating so half the unit was ready for action at all times, getting small fires going to purify water for everyone. Keiichi was even surprised to find someone waking him five minutes early so he could have time to run a brush over his teeth and pack his sleeping bag and iso-mat.

He had also found himself shocked to see the endurance of the men he was traveling with. Very few of them fell back, and that usually happened toward the end of the day. The unit marched from first light until dusk, and sometimes later if Captain Ramos felt like it. Sometimes they ate while still marching, and if you had to relieve yourself, you did it as fast as possible on the side of the road and ran back to your place in the formation. The group had somewhere to be and they were going to push until they were there.

Twice on the first day and once on the second day Keiichi had begun to fall back. Every time he did the Marines around him grabbed his pack and pulled up on it, taking much of the weight off his shoulders. Once Gunny Taff had run over, passed his rifle to Keiichi, and taken the college man's pack, carrying it on top of his own for several kilometers as if it were no more than an extra canteen. He had embarrassedly apologized, but the Marines simply patted his shoulders and grinned, saying they hadn't expected him to last as well as he had. It made him feel a little better. Today though, he was determined to haul his own weight over the whole day. He wasn't going to be a burden on his comrades this time.

He grinned a bit at that thought. _Comrades, huh? I hadn't thought of them like that until now._ He certainly hadn't felt like part of the group when they started. The only ones who would talk to him were Rojas and Taff that morning, but as the young Japanese man struggled along, doing his best to keep up, the Americans quickly warmed up to him. Some of them, at least, but more than enough. Keiichi realized that he now felt like part of the unit. _Almost like I'm a Marine, too._ He chuckled a bit at that. _Well, maybe that's going a little far._ He hated to think how they would react if he told them he thought he was a Marine like them. That might be pushing the comrade envelope a little far.

"Hey, Morisato!"

Keiichi had to turn until he was very nearly walking sideways to see around the pack he was wearing. Awkwardly looking behind him, he saw the leader of the expedition, Captain Rojas, marching quickly up the side of the column of men. As the Marine began to match pace with him, Keiichi made his reply. "Yes, Captain?"

"How are you holding up? If the pack is wearing on you again, I'm sure Gunny Taff could take it for a mile or two." The darker skinned man looked at him with an odd mix of humor and professional concern.

"No!" he said a little faster than he had intended. "I mean, it's not that bad today." He tried to ignore the straps digging into his shoulders as he shook his head. His slightly too large helmet jostled around as he did. He noticed Rojas giving him a doubtful look. "Really, sir, I'm fine. I've just been thinking about home."

The Captain nodded his head, as if that had been the missing puzzle piece. "You miss your girl, er, your Goddess." He chuckled a little, giving a wry smile. "I'm still surprised you left with us, even if it's only for a while."

"I'm still a little surprised myself, to be honest," Keiichi replied frankly. "I think about Belldandy all the time. I feel guilty about leaving her like that, even for a week or two. I mean, she's so worried about her sisters, and now she has to worry about me, too."

"She's a strong girl, Morisato," Rojas told him, cutting off the other worries that had been building in him, "and I'm certain that she'll be happy to see you come back at the head of a group bringing civilians to the safety of Nekomi. I know I'm happy to have even one more rifle to help guard my family."

Keiichi stared at the other man for a moment. "I didn't know you had a family here in Japan."

"I didn't mention it before?" Keiichi shook his head, a surprised look on his face as Rojas beamed. "Yep. Two girls, Mayuka and Misato. One's five and the other's seven. God, it'll be good to see them again."

Looking at the proud parent, Keiichi couldn't help smiling. "Why do they have Japanese names?" he asked, curiosity helping him to forget the aches in his legs and shoulders.

"My wife, Keiko, wouldn't let me give them Spanish names," he chuckled. "She says they all sound stupid."

Unable to help himself, Keiichi laughed too. "Well, some foreign names are hard to pronounce."

"I suppose you're right." He clasped a hand on Keiichi's almost numb shoulder, "You sure you'll be alright?"

He nodded and his helmet slipped forward a little. "I'll be good for another couple kilometers," he said, hoping it was true. "How much farther?"

"We should hit Iwakuni an hour or two after dark at this pace. We'll make a stop in an hour or so, and then we'll try to push the rest of the way. After that, you can sleep until we get ready to go back to Nekomi." The Captain laughed as he gave the Japanese man a light punch on the arm.

Keiichi laughed back, "Don't think I won't take you up on that offer!"

Ramos' voice became more solemn as he spoke again. "But seriously, Morisato, I want to say thanks for coming with us. I know it's not easy for you, and you could have stayed home without anyone thinking worse of you. But you came anyway, and for that you have my gratitude. We can use all the help we can get."

He tried not to blush as he looked ahead. "Don't mention it."

* * *

"I understand, sir," Keos' voice almost echoed through the command center, "but are you sure about this?"

Daedalus shifted a bit. _Just like he did when I asked the same question,_ Gil thought to himself. "Is there a problem, Keos?"

"No, sir, it can be done." There was a pause as a brief cackle of static played across the line. "It's just that, well with so many Templars out at once, we won't be able to defend even half of Nekomi. I'm all for going on the offense, but if the enemy happens to launch a raid at the same time…" He left the rest unsaid, but even the Goddess technicians, who had no military experience at all, knew what he was getting at. No one in the room appeared comfortable, not even the Lord Commander of the Templars.

"I understand that you feel like you are abandoning the humans, Keos," there was sympathy as he explained, "but if we don't gain some ground against the enemy, it won't matter anyway. We'll eventually loose the entire city, and then we'll have nothing to defend except Heaven itself." _And even Heaven will fall eventually._ Daedalus didn't say that out where all the Goddesses could hear, but he had told Gil and Ceres as much when he had first arrived. "This is our mission, Keos, and it is our job to make it happen. You and Lord Odin will lead our Templars to victory in this. I have great faith in you both."

"Thank you, sir," Keos answered more confidently this time, but Gil could still hear a trace of doubt. "We will give all that we have."

Daedalus nodded as if Keos could see him. "May the Templar stand victorious, and may the Order remember the glory won this day."

"May the glory and the honor of the Templar remain in the memories of Heaven forever." He could almost see Keos standing at attention, almost see him saluting his Commander. Gil couldn't help standing a little straighter.

Ceres stepped forward and gently touched Daedalus on the arm, drawing a quick look from him. He nodded, stepping back. The Lord Commander had said all he wanted to say.

"Keos, it's Ceres," she spoke aloud.

"Hey, Ceres," he responded, "I just want you and all your girls up there to know how much we appreciate all of you. I know some of my guys have a Goddess up there who he wants to come home to, so tell them that I'll do everything I can to bring every one back up to Heaven when this is all over."

Ere suddenly called up from her station, her voice a little tight. "You make sure that you come home, too!"

"Yeah, Keos, we're not going to let everything that's happened drive us all apart!" Chrono's voice very nearly cracked, and Gil could see a glistening in her eyes. "You and Gil, and Ere and I, we're all still going to be close friends after you guys have won!"

The God's laugh was distorted a bit as the interference struck again. "Don't worry guys, I plan on living long enough to enjoy being a hero. I'll have all the Goddesses fawning over me, for once." He paused for a second, and he sounded very serious when he added, "But don't you worry, as far as I'm concerned, you two have dibbs on this wonder of Godhood. Oh, and Ceres, you can throw your lovely name into the hat, too. In fact, I insist that we get together when I get back to Heaven!"

Gilgamesh suddenly noticed how far his jaw had dropped during Keos' little speech. It was all well and good that he was teasing Ere and Chrono, in fact it had brought a much needed grin to his face. _But Lady Ceres!?_ Looking over, he saw that her mouth was open, too, and her entire face had colored. A quick glance at Daedalus revealed a Templar leader who was conspicuously trying not to look at anything as he obviously struggled not to smile. The absurdity of it all finally hit home and Gil exploded into laughter.

The rest of the command center wasn't far behind. Many of the Goddess technicians and operators at consoles throughout the room were giggling. Ere was holding her sides and Chrono was wiping tears from her eyes as she shook and quickly fell into another burst of mirth. Even Commander Daedalus was allowing himself a thoroughly amused chuckle.

Ceres was a little more composed about it, though her huge smile shone through the deep red of her blush. As everyone began to calm down, she spoke with as much dignity as she could muster. "You should be careful who you flirt with, Keos. A handsome young hero returning from war, you might wind up with a wife before you have a chance to enjoy your status."

"My God, Ceres, did you just propose to me?"

Everyone laughed again, and Gil realized how unlikely it all was. In short order they were all going to take a part in the plan to push back the Cruel Angel, to turn the tide of the war. If they failed today, it was over. Fighting to the end would merely be a formality, as the final result would be guaranteed. Still, even with all that weighing on them, or perhaps because of it all, they were laughing at Keos' strange humor. Laughing at the embarrassed look of Ceres as she struggled not to hide her face. Laughing for the sake of laughing. He realized just how good it felt to laugh so hard. _It's like I'd forgotten._

Daedalus was still smiling when he cleared his throat, and the room quieted. "I hate to be the one to break up the fun, but we all have jobs to do."

"You're right of course, Lord Commander," Ceres agreed, smoothing out her layers of robes in an effort to calm herself. "Keos, please wish your men good luck for us."

"I will," he said simply.

"Our prayers are with you," she told him solemnly. "May the blessings of our Lord be with you all."

"Thank you. Well, I guess I'll talk to you all again when this is over. Until then." With that, the line disconnected. It was silent for a time, and Gil saw some of the Goddesses in the room give each other reassuring hugs. Chrono and Ere stretched across the space between their consoles to hold hands for a moment. Daedalus had bowed his head in a silent prayer, and Ceres quickly wiped tears from her cheeks as she moved to her command seat. He suddenly felt a chill, and pulled at his cloak without thinking.

* * *

Belldandy was nervous as she followed Peorth into what appeared to be a makeshift bedroom. Her mind would not rest since she had arrived at Yggdrasil, not since she heard Daedalus give his orders. It was difficult not to look a bit out of sorts when she told Gilgamesh to stay in the control center.

"Sorry about all that," Peorth said absently as she quickly searched the room, both physically and with her powers. "If I'd known this was going to happen…well, I don't know. Maybe there was no way around it."

Silent for a few moments, Bell watched the other Goddess scour the room. "Peorth, is it really going to work? Gilgamesh seemed uncomfortable with the idea, and I can't say that I'm very confident either. I mean, they still have Skuld, and Urd is out there somewhere, too. What if they are hurt when we attack?"

Her friend sighed sadly, but never slowed down in her search. "I don't mean to sound uncaring, but there's going to be whole lot of people hurt in this plan, even if things go in our favor."

"I know," she answered with a grimace, "I know that, but still I…I can't stop feeling so selfish."

"Belldandy, I know that you're worried about your sisters, and there's nothing wrong with that. I'm worried about them, too, but we both know that there's more at stake here." She suddenly straightened up and, with a series of quick chants, blanketed the room with a powerful warding program. She glanced around briefly when she finished, seeming satisfied with her work. Bell simply blinked at her.

"You were looking for eavesdropping programs?" She looked at Peorth in confusion. "Peorth, please tell me what's going on. Why are you being so secretive?"

Running a hand through her dark hair, Peorth sighed again, looking very tired. "What I'm about to speak to you about isn't exactly official information. A lot of us could get into some very deep trouble if word got out. I won't forgive anyone who gets my girls into trouble, not even you Belldandy, so you have to promise me that you will be discreet with what you learn here."

"I will, Peorth," she nodded promptly, hand over her heart, "I promise."

The Goddess of Roses seemed satisfied, though she hesitated before continuing. "I know where Urd is." Bell's hand went to her mouth as all her worries were shoved aside. "Well, maybe know isn't the best word. We've managed to pick up on her energy patterns, but we can't localize them since they fluctuate so wildly." Peorth smiled a little at that. "I suppose that's to be expected, considering this is Urd we're talking about."

"Urd is…" Bell's voice shook as she struggled to speak. "Is she alright?"

"She's well enough to use her powers," Peorth answered, "which is really the only reason we have any idea where she is. Even so, the best we could do is an area that's around five square kilometers, quite a ways to the west of Nekomi. She's in there somewhere, we just need someone to go in and find her." Reaching out and giving Belldandy a pat on the shoulder, she gave another small grin. "Belldandy, I need you to find Urd for me."

Belldandy, for her part, was thunderstruck. She could find one of her sisters. She could know that Urd was safe and hold her as tightly as she wished her sister to hold her. But there was something that wasn't quite adding up. "Why are you trying so hard to find her, Peorth? It would almost be safer for Urd if no one could find her at all, not with the High Council wanting to put her on trial so badly."

Peorth's lips twisted a bit. "I don't believe things are quite as simple as the Council is making them out to be. It seems like some of them are acting stranger by the day, and I'm not sure that I trust them very far." She noticed the confused look Belldandy was giving her and shook her head. "Listen, you know as well as I do that even Urd wouldn't do something so…illegal, not without good reason. She knows something we don't, or at least she thinks she does, and I want to know what."

Bell swallowed at all she'd heard. "So what you are saying is that I should go find her so we can discover the truth of what she has done." Receiving a nod, she asked something that had been on her mind since first hearing Urd's name. "Is Sephiroth with her?"

"I would assume," she answered, "but we haven't detected any power signatures from him at all. He might not be using as much power as Urd, or he might not be able to use his power at all for some reason. Either way, I guess the answer is we don't know for certain."

A sort of chime rang through the room, and Belldandy recognized it as the PA system for Yggdrasil. As soon as it was over, the nervous voice of a young Goddess came through, "All personnel, prepare for power surge. I repeat, all personnel, prepare for power surge." There was a small pause before she spoke again. "May the blessings of our Lord be upon us all." It left the two Goddesses staring at each other.

"They're firing Gungnir already?" Peorth looked as surprised as Belldandy felt. Things were moving too fast for either Goddess.

"We should get back to the command center," Bell stated, though it was probably unnecessary. She received a nod and the two were racing out of the room and down the hall. Bell realized that she felt a distinct twinge of worry, and that twinge made her worry even more.

It was the feeling she had the last time she had seen her little sister, as she watched Skuld disappear into that gate to Earth.

* * *

Ceres was trying not to grasp handfuls of her own robes as her heart beat faster. She had just given the order to prepare for the attack at Chancellor Marduk's command. The leader of the Council of Heaven was standing at her shoulder, stone faced and yet somehow eager at the same time.

"Please, Lord Chancellor," she spoke to him quietly, "shouldn't we give the Templars a little more time to get underway?"

"There will be no more delays," he stated flatly, as if the plan had been set back many times before. "You must have faith in your Templars. Now begin the firing sequence."

Ceres nodded, her nervousness hardly placated. She had already watched as a platoon of Templars went to fight what should have been the only battle of this war, and all but one of them were slaughtered. "Target the center of the disturbances," she called out. _Almighty, give me strength._ "Yggdrasil, authorize Goddess First Class Ceres."

A female, slightly digitized voice responded. "Authorized." As the voice spoke a series of glowing, two dimensional designs rose from the floor in front of her. Each orange half circle was suspended a few centimeters above the one below it, and there was a similarly colored smaller arc opposite each one on the same plane. As a dozen or so of the discs appeared, the top one quickly came level with the lowest of her ribs. As soon as they stopped a slender metal object began to rise through the center of the disks.

"Chancellor, isn't this…" Gilgamesh's statement was overwhelmed by Daedalus' voice.

"Chancellor," the Lord Commander said, with a brief look at his subordinate. Gil shut his mouth. "Chancellor, are you certain this is the best way? There can be no going back. If we fail, it could mean the end of Heaven."

"I'm aware of the risks, Daedalus," Marduk answered dryly, "and it is not your place to question the will of the Council. Your job is to carry out the plan I gave you, is it not?"

Ceres could see the Commander's jaw clench, but he responded with a tight, "Yes, Lord Chancellor, and I will follow the Council's will to the letter."

"Good," Marduk said with a grin, before his tone softened. "Don't worry, my friend, everything will go exactly to plan. You'll see." She thought it sounded as though the Chancellor was speaking to a child rather than a friend or peer.

Out of the corner of her eye Ceres saw Peorth and Belldandy enter. The two went to stand near Gilgamesh, and he whispered to them briefly. Probably briefing them on what they had missed. _Lord, I wish I could have missed it, too._

"Lady Ceres!" She whipped her head around at Chrono's exclamation, but by the time she had looked at the junior Goddess, Chrono looked very unsure of herself. "Oh…"

She waited for a moment before verbally nudging the girl to continue. "What is it, Chrono?"

"Uh, well for a second I could have swore," she trailed off again, then shook her head and looked up at Ceres. "I thought I saw an anomaly in the Haguruma, but I can't find it now." The young Goddess seemed to suddenly notice the heated look she was getting from Marduk and began fidgeting. "It…it might have just been a glitch."

"Are you sure?" Ceres was feeling even more butterflies in her stomach now. It seemed like every tragedy or major setback in this war had happened on her watch.

"She said it was a glitch," Marduk stated impatiently. "Now are you going to commence with the operation as planned, or must I have Peorth relieve you?"

It seemed like everyone in the command center was either trying to hide or was staring in open wonder at what was happening. _How can he be so imperious when everyone is scared to death? _"No, sir," she told him, wrapping herself as tightly as she could in her professionalism. "That will not be necessary." _He must know what he's doing. He's the Chancellor after all, and the Almighty gave him permission to carry out the mission as he saw fit. I must have faith._

Taking a deep breath, she faced back to the column of disks. There was now a slender rod through the orange circles and a round, flat top even with the highest disk. "Ordering activation of Gungnir."

"Order confirmed," came the computer's voice as the flat top reformed itself into an oblong shape with the larger end pointing up.

"Take aim." She took a step forward, bringing her within arm's reach of the trigger.

"Taking aim," it responded.

Ceres moved her hand over the silver button. It was trembling. _We have to win. Lord please let the Chancellor's plan work!_ She closed her eyes and brought her hand down.

She could hear the power drain on the system for perhaps a second before the alarms went off.

Her eyes flew open to see several red bordered screens appear on the central display. _No, no, please no!_ "What's happening?" Not a trace of her fears made it into her voice.

"There's a problem with the Gungnir program!" Chrono yelled.

Ere followed quickly, "The target coordinates changed the instant the program activated. I'm trying to find the new attack zone."

The Goddess in charge did her best to fight off a feeling of doom that she felt surrounding her. "Abort the program!"

"I'm trying," Chrono answered as her hands flew across her console, "but it's not accepting any new commands!"

"Keep trying," she told them, though there wasn't much chance. If it could be done, they would tell her.

"There's an unauthorized gate in the queue," Chrono spoke again. "I don't know the coordinates on Earth, but it looks like this end will materialize near the Great Falls in less than five minutes. It must have already been forming before Gungnir was activated!"

Daedalus' voice boomed in, "I'm going to the gate. If they get into Heaven, it's all over. Gilgamesh, come with me."

Peorth broke in. "No, Commander, we need him here! If something happens to Yggdrasil…!"

"Fine, there's no time to argue anyway. Gilgamesh, protect this place with your life."

"Lady Ceres," Ere spoke again, agitation filling her voice, "Gungnir, its new target…it's Iwakuni, Japan!"

"Stop it!" Ceres commanded, even as she heard Belldandy behind her saying 'No!' over and over.

"It's too late," Chrono said, and the whole room went quiet. "It's firing now."

* * *

He tried not to blush as he looked ahead. "Don't mention it." Suddenly he realized that something looked strange about the view before him. It took him a minute before he realized it was sort of a distortion in the sky.

"What the hell is that?" someone asked.

"What are you asking me for? I'm not a friggin weather guesser."

"Well, whatever it is," Ramos said to no one in particular, "it looks like it's right over the base."

Keiichi couldn't stop looking at it, thinking he'd seen it before. The clouds quickly swirled and opened, and his heart stopped as a huge ball of light was ejected from the anomaly. _Oh, God. I _have_ seen this before!_ Keiichi didn't realize he had stopped until the Marine bumped into him. "You alright?" the Marine asked in English.

He understood the man, but he couldn't get his mouth to work. Others fielded a new set of 'What's that?' questions, and he vaguely noticed Taff bringing the two columns to a halt. He felt Ramos give him a firm shake on the shoulder as he gave a concerned look. "Morisato? What's wrong?"

Keiichi tried to think what to tell the man. Someone else was speaking in the background, "That thing's getting awfully close to…"

The flash was nearly blinding, and Keiichi heard a slew of curses as he turned away, blinking in hopes the light spots would go away. "Right flank!" somebody yelled, just before the deafening explosion reached them.

The ground shook beneath his boots, enough to rattle his teeth but not so much to cause him to lose his footing, though the pressure wave from the explosion nearly did. Looking over again, he was shocked to see flashes coming from rifles as some of the Marines fired into the trees to the right of the highway. He blinked again as the light spots began to fade. He hadn't even heard a single shot.

Shrugging off his pack, his heart beating in his throat, he joined an increasing majority of the Marines running over to the right column. He pushed his helmet back off his eyes twice as he ran, and tripped over a small crater in the asphalt. As he made it to the line, some of the men were already discarding their first magazine, and he could see the first of the monsters charging out of the forest. He thought he could almost feel the concussion from the rounds being fired all around him. Or maybe it was his imagination? He saw men yelling, bellowing their cries of battle. He still couldn't hear anything.

Raising his rifle, he aimed at one of the large, bloated humanoid things. Nearly closing his eyes as he pulled the trigger, he went a little off balance it didn't budge. "Damn it!" he yelled when he realized it hadn't fired, though he didn't hear himself. Looking down, he flipped the selector from _safe _to _fire_ with his thumb as he had been told. Raising it again, he pulled the trigger. And kept pulling, and kept pulling. He began to wonder what was wrong this time when the round finally went off. _I didn't realize you had to pull the trigger so far!_

With no idea where the first round went, he lined up again and began firing. It was hard to tell if he was hitting the creature at all, but he thought maybe half the rounds had struck home, or one of the ones next to it. It was all too soon that his trigger pulling was getting him nothing. Realizing he was empty, he tried to remember how they taught him to reload.

_Press the button on the side and slide the magazine out…easier said than done! _ For some reason his magazine stuck for a moment before finally coming free so abruptly that it flew from his hand. _Screw it! New magazine…_ He fumbled with one of the pouches on his flack jacket, managing to free a full clip without dropping the second magazine in that pouch to the ground. Looking up at the oncoming creatures, he nearly tried to insert the magazine upside down. _Damn it, come on! Come on!_ The magazine hit home, and he quickly pressed a different button, closer to the trigger. He felt the bolt slide home, slamming a round into the chamber.

Without a second of delay he brought the weapon back up and was firing into the closest enemy. He saw where his rounds struck, and he only vaguely took note of the bits of flesh that flew from the creatures as they were hit. He only cared when one of them went down. By the time he discarded his second magazine, he had seen seven of them fall. But there were twice as many still coming right in front of him, and that wasn't counting the ones down the line to his left and right.

It was looking down the line to his left that saved his life. The monsters were coming out of the trees further down the road, toward Iwakuni. He never would have seen them coming if he hadn't glanced that way while reloading. None of the others seemed to, except for Captain Rojas.

Unloading on the monsters in that direction, the officer paused only long enough to haul one of his Marines up by the collar of his vest and push him back the other way. He was ordering his men to regroup, and trying to keep them from being outflanked. The Marine was coming down the line, grabbing shoulders and yelling in the chaos about their exposed side, and the men began to break off and head back down the road toward Keiichi.

Looking again at the forest, Keiichi cursed and ran to help the Captain. The Marines he ran past to get there yelled at him, probably to tell him to stop, but he still couldn't hear. He knew he couldn't leave the man to fight for himself.

As he approached, Ramos fired a grenade from his under barrel. Keiichi could actually see it fly for a split second before it detonated on one of the oncoming enemies. As he lowered his rifle to reload, though, three more of the monsters came stalking out of the smoke. All three were spattered with the thick, oily blood and flesh of the dead one, but they continued on as if nothing at all had happened. If anything, they almost seemed to be smiling. Keiichi shuddered as he stopped next to the Captain and began firing.

For a second, he thought he heard Ramos' voice, but when he glanced over the man was aiming again. Another grenade exploded in front of them, closer this time. Keiichi definitely felt the explosion that time. The monsters were getting closer, too close. He looked over at the officer, wondering when he was going to fall back. Ramos had his teeth bared at the enemy with hatred so powerful that any other time Keiichi would have taken a few steps back. But even as his visage was twisted with rage, tears were streaming down his cheeks.

Keiichi looked forward again as he finished loading his third magazine. They were only a few meters away now. _We have to move!_ Reaching out, he grabbed at Ramos, only to have his arm batted away. Before he knew what was happening, the man shoved him back with surprising strength. As he stumbled backward, he thought he heard him yell, "Go back to your Goddess, Morisato!"

Stumbling backward, off balance, he nearly ended on his rear before something yanked him up by his vest, pulling him further away from the Captain. "C'mon! We've got to move!" Taff's voice sounded a kilometer off, but he realized it was he who was pulling Keiichi along.

"No!" Keiichi yelled over his shoulder, his stupid helmet repeatedly sliding over his eyes when he tried to look over his shoulder at Taff. "We have to help him! We can't just leave him there!"

Even as he pleaded, he saw the creatures get to the man. He fired off another grenade, close enough this time that Ramos nearly fell over from the blast. Not bothering with the grenades any more, he fired his bullets intently into the remaining monsters. He couldn't have been far from an empty clip when the thing grabbed his leg in its pincer like claw. He fell as the thing snipped his leg off at the thigh. Keiichi wanted to cry as he watched the man feebly pull out his knife. Another of the creatures was on him now, stabbing him through the abdomen as he tried to do the same to it. The knife was falling from his hand as another one stepped into Keiichi's line of sight, blocking Ramos from view.

"Damn your mother, Morisato, get up!" Taff yelled at him as he yanked Keiichi upright. "I can't carry you the whole friggin way! Get up!"

Keiichi swallowed as he finally regained his balance. Taff had nearly drug him backwards for almost ten meters. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the Marine he had been standing over the shoulder of before. The man was nearly unrecognizable, his insides all over the road. Two more of the bloody creatures were there, making their way toward them.

Spinning around to Taff, he saw that there were at least five of the monsters between them and the remaining Marines further down the road. He almost laughed.

"Don't loose it now, Morisato!" Taff shook him, "Hey, stay sharp god damn it!" Keiichi looked at his hard face, tiny flecks of blood sprinkled across it. It seemed like someone had carved him out of wood for all the emotion he was showing.

But somehow, looking into that face, Keiichi realized just how unreal reality could seem. Despite the pounding of his heart, he didn't feel scared. He didn't feel much of anything, really. He knew his legs were still rubbery from the march, his shoulders still hurt, his throat ached from the cold air he was rapidly sucking in, but none of it really seemed to matter. He simply nodded his head.

Suddenly noticing a metal ring in the man's teeth, Keiichi watched him toss a grenade he didn't even know was in Taff's hand. As it rolled forward toward the creatures in their path he knelt, crouching as low as he could. Keiichi followed suit just before the explosive went off. Something ricocheted off his helmet, and he felt a tiny sting in his right thigh and his left forearm. In an instant he was back on his feet, plunging blindly through the smoke after the older man and shooting the gap they had just created in the enemy line. He nearly fell when he stepped on the still writhing body of one of the creatures, but the stumble only lasted a few steps.

A dozen Marines had formed a new line further down the highway, kneeling and firing at whatever targets they could. Hurtling past them, Taff yelled for them to fall back. Jumping after him, Keiichi's boot brushed the shoulder of a Marine as he flew past. He realized that he, too, was yelling for the Marines to follow. He wasn't sure how many of them understood his Japanese, but at the very least they had heard Taff and they were starting to sprint after them.

Keiichi's hearing was returning slowly, and he could barely hear his boots as they struck the highway. He glanced over his shoulder, past the Marines following, beyond the twisted beasts tracking them, to the angry orange glow that was Iwakuni. _God, what did we come here for?_

"This way!" Taff has peeled off to the left, leaving the highway and leaning on a tree as he motioned the others into the woods. Some dove into the foliage without pause, but some, like Keiichi, hesitated at plunging into the same forest the Cruel Angel's horde had attacked from. At least none of the enemies had emerged this far down the road. "We can loose them in the woods," he yelled, glancing at the men, "now go! Move, damn it!" He fired at the approaching creatures, hardly slowing them at all.

Ignoring the man, Keiichi knelt nearby and steadied his aim. "I'm not leaving you here!" Firing several shots, one of his rounds hit the lead creature in the head. He thought he might have killed it, but it only staggered for a few seconds before continuing toward them. Now it was third closest.

"Damn it, Morisato!" Taff moved over and pulled him up. "I'm right behind you, now move!" He punctuated his order by shoving Keiichi into the trees, and he hesitated only a second before following his momentum in. True to his word, Taff was only a few steps behind.

They ran through the thick growth, stumbling through the tangle of mostly dead vines and brush and limbs for what seemed forever. He was starting to wheeze, and the stumble wasn't just because of the overgrown forest.

"Slow down, Morisato," Taff told him, just short of yelling. "We can't sprint forever. Besides, you've been out of ammo for the last half mile." It almost sounded funny, but neither of them smiled. The Marine stopped and knelt down on the edge of the clearing that Keiichi was almost to the other side of, pulling another magazine from a pouch on the back of his vest. Keiichi grabbed his last one from its pocket and was trying to seat it into his weapon with a shaky hand when he saw movement.

"Taff, behind you!" His yell made the man spin, firing as the creature came through the branches like they weren't there. Keiichi was sending the bold forward as the thing wrapped a tentacle around Taff's leg. It whipped him up and flung him halfway across the clearing, and Keiichi was already firing on it by the time the Marine landed with a loud grunt.

He had fired around fifteen shots before Keiichi realized he was screaming at the thing. It was as if he was trying to scare it, assuming the bullets wouldn't do that if it were possible. But he yelled anyway, and kept yelling when the trigger went slack and the rounds stopped coming. He looked at the rifle, angry that it would fail now, and threw it to the ground as he charged the staggering monster. He started to yell again as he freed a large fighting knife from its sheath on his leg.

His anger, his hate for the thing filled him. It was a representative of the Cruel Angel, the evil that had destroyed their lives, who had scattered Belldandy's family. _Belldandy…_ For a moment, as he ran at the creature with knife in hand, he remembered leaving Nekomi. Remembered the tears in her eyes as he left. _I won't let you take me! I'm going back to her, no matter what!_

* * *

Gil watched, helpless, as chaos reigned in the control center. The Goddesses were all working furiously to discover what had happened.

"Keiichi," Belldandy muttered softly, "oh, Keiichi…" Her legs had gone out from under her as soon as it all happened, and wasn't moving except to rock back and forth a little. He still held her hand, but she acted as if there was nobody else in the room. "Keiichi, you can't be…"

"Peorth," Ceres called, "have you contacted Nekomi yet?"

"I'm trying," she responded from a terminal that was floating a few meters in the air and off to the right. "The line's working, but no one is answering. It could just be that there's nobody at the temple."

"Keep trying," Ceres told her. "We have to let them know that it's a trap."

_Trap?_ Gil considered that a moment. _If it was a trap, then the one who sprung it…_ He looked around suddenly. "Where the hell is the Chancellor?" It had been less than a minute, and the man was nowhere to be seen. Ceres looked back at him, looking like she had just been kicked in the ribs. He had an idea how she felt.

"Ma'am, I just saw another anomaly in the Haguruma!" Chrono sounded like she wanted to cry, but she held steady. "That has to be it! There's got to be someone down there!"

Ceres floated over to the center console. "Ere, can you confirm?"

"No," she answered shakily. "It'll be another minute or two, but it makes sense. It's the only thing that does."

Gil spoke over the chatter of voices in the room. "You mean the one who did this is down in the Haguruma? That's why all this happened?"

Hesitating for a moment, Ceres nodded. "It seems that way, Gilgamesh."

"Then I'm going down there," he stated flatly, his anger rising, "and I'm going to kill the son of a bitch!" Normally a Templar who used that kind of language in front of a Goddess could expect a dark look at best, a slap in the face at worst. No one even seemed to notice, now.

"Gilgamesh, be careful," Peorth called from her raised platform. "If this happened while the Chancellor was in here, then it's possible that there's two of them down there. Maybe more."

"I understand," he spoke before he looked down at the trembling Goddess beside him. "Look after her for me, will you?"

Peorth nodded. "I will. Good luck."

He gave Belldandy a quick hug, feeling sorry that he couldn't do more, before he stood. He found Ceres standing there, looking at him sadly. "Please, please be careful, Gilgamesh," she told him quietly before she gently put a hand on his cheek. The sandy haired Goddess floated up a bit and pressed her lips to the blue mark on his forehead. "I do not wish to loose anyone else on my watch."

Taking her hand from his face, he gave it a squeeze. "I'll be back soon enough. I guarantee it." With that he turned and flew from the huge chamber that was Yggdrasil's control room. _I'm going to make them pay for this travesty! I'm going to make them suffer!_

* * *

"Alright, Erg, get going." Keos patted the armor covered shoulder of his friend. "Be careful out there. I'll see you tomorrow."

Ergaddas grinned back. "Just don't go trying to be a hero, Keos. I don't know if I could live without your ugly face waking me every morning!"

The pair chuckled, as did some of the nearby Templars. "When did you start stealing my material?" He gave a friendly push to start the other God on his way. "You'd better have some new jokes by the time you come back!"

Keos watched his friend float away from the roof of the building they were standing on. Half of the Templars floated off after him, heading toward the edge of the city, while the rest stood there, smirks still on their faces and watching their leader for his next order. He slowly turned in a circle as he took in the seven young Templars. He managed to keep from grimacing as he was again reminded just how short handed they were.

Only one other member of his team was a First Order Templar, the other six Gods were of the Second, and none of them were close to ready for promotion. _Well, they will be after this little excursion._

Keos had intentionally put together the weakest team for two reasons. On the one hand, it let him leave six more First Order Templars to help guard the city. On the other, he was determined to keep these men alive, and their best chance of that lay with him. He was the best fighter in Nekomi, except for Odin, and the First Templar wasn't going on the raid, so that left Keos.

"Well, men," he spoke confidently, "we're the last ones out. What does that mean?"

One of the Templars answered, "That we'll be the last ones back?"

"That's exactly right," he smiled at them, turning to look each of them in the eye. "We're going to stay out there as long as it takes to get our fair share of the bad guys. To do that, though, I'm going to need every one of you on your toes the entire time. Look to your left," he told them, and though they didn't seem to understand why, they complied. "Now look to your right." The circle of God followed his instructions. "Those men beside you, your brothers, are counting on you as much as you are counting on them. Do not let them down." They all smiled and nodded at him, a gleam of self-assurance in their eyes. He was about to tell them to move out when he felt something.

Looking out in the direction Ergaddas' team had gone, he squinted, trying to figure out what he was feeling. He thought he was imagining things for a moment before he saw the thin trail of smoke rising from the trees. His men were looking at it too, and they began to murmur when three lighting bolts struck not far from the column of thickening black.

"Hey, looks like the first fight of the operation goes to them," someone laughed, drawing some chuckles from the others.

_But that doesn't make sense. All the other teams left the same way not five minutes before Erg's team, so how did everyone else miss this group of enemies?_ In the far off distance, more lightning could be seen, but just barely. It was spread out, striking a much wider area. _This doesn't make sense._

"Listen up, men," he spoke to them, taking another few seconds to take his eyes off the horizon, "we're going to be going out a little later than I thought. Split into pairs and spread out across the line. You," he pointed at the First Order, "go find Lord Odin and tell him we're still in the city. I'll come get you all when we're ready to leave." He noticed that his voice held a small amount of the unease he was feeling. _Just as well, I suppose. Maybe it'll put them in a more ready state of mind._

"But, sir," one of the younger Templars spoke up, "we've got our orders from the High Council! We can't just disobey like that!"

Keos irritably rounded on the God, who looked hardly old enough to be wearing the sword at his belt. "When you join the First Order, then you can question my decisions," he growled, "but until then, I'll be devil cursed if I let-aaaah!"

His thoughts blanked out for a moment as he struggled to stay upright. It felt as though someone had strapped an air horn to both his ears, only it wasn't a simple blast of sound he heard. A thousand voices dug into his soul, lashing him with the most foul and evil things he had ever heard. They promised pain like he had never known, and not just for him. He could see flashes of his men screaming as they were picked apart by the Cruel Angel's monsters. He saw Yggdrasil on fire, and the terrified looks of the children of Heaven as the monsters swung the killing blow. He saw Urd and Marler, their heads raggedly shaven and faces cut. Metal spikes were driven through their forearms and stomachs, pinning them to the cold rock surface as a horrific creature reached forward to pluck out their eyes.

His eyes opened, and he was back on the rooftop, his men staggering around him, pale as a linen sheet. The young Templar before him was crying, murmuring for them to spare him. A surge of fury took him as Keos grabbed the whimpering God and slapped him twice. There was silence for a moment as the young God looked at Keos with fear.

"We'll be lucky if what we just saw will be the end of it," he held the God tightly by the neck of his armor. "There will be no mercy for any of us, or the ones we care about. We will win, or there won't be anyone left to weep for the damned!"

They all stared at him, some swallowing nervously, others clenching their fist as angrily as he did. He gave one last look at the Templar he had a hold of before pushing him toward one of his less frightened teammates. "Go, all of you. Get to the line and make sure it holds. If any of you lets the enemy through, I'll make you wish the Cruel Angel _did _have a hold of you. Move!"

They all put their fists to their chests in salute, even the one Keos had hit. They yelled back "Yes, sir!" before darting away through the air.

He watched them go for a moment before he sucked in a quick breath, doing his best to swallow a sob that nearly broke out of him. Wiping his face with both hands, he drew several more shuddering breaths, trying to push away the images he had seen. "No, no I can't waste time like this," he whispered. "I have to fight, I have to win!" Looking back at the edge of the city, he grit his teeth.

Lifting off the rooftop two brilliant, white-feathered wings grew from his back, pushing his cloak between them. Flying toward the defensive line of the Templars, he saw the sky darken, and the rumbles of thunder threatened rain. It almost seemed as if the Cruel Angel himself had come for a firsthand viewing of the battle. "We win, or there won't be anyone left to weep for the damned."

* * *

The ancient gears slowly turned as Gil floated through the dark spaces of the Haguruma. Pitted iron grated against itself as the cogs continued their work, as if they didn't realize they had been abandoned centuries ago.

Floating through the maze of grate-metal catwalks, sword firmly in hand, the Templar wondered how the Celestials of old had managed to find their way in such a place. _I wonder if _I _can find my way enough to get out of here?_ He pushed the question to the side without much thought. He could worry about that when he had done what he came here to do.

Adjusting his grip on the no-dachi, he kept looking and listening, straining to find some clue as to the whereabouts of his prey. So far only the rhythmic knocking of the clockwork system filled his ears, and he could hardly see anything with the few lights that still functioned after nearly a thousand years.

He froze in mid air. Something wasn't right.

"Oh, ho ho!" The voice echoed all around him. It was taking a great deal of effort to keep from spinning his head around in a frantic search. "I guess you've noticed my presence."

Something was definitely wrong. He had heard this voice before, but it wasn't the Chancellor's. "Who are you?" He spoke as if to someone right in front of him, but whoever it was seemed to hear him just fine.

"Oh, come now, Gil," the voice echoed again, "surely you haven't forgotten my voice already! It hasn't been _that_ long."

He hesitated, gripping his sword till his knuckles hurt. _It's just a trick._ "Stop playing games with me." He couldn't stop himself from turning in place, scanning the darkness around his catwalk as he snarled angrily at his unseen enemy. "Show yourself, you coward!"

A heavy sigh pierced the darkness after a moment. "Poor little Gil," the voice said. "So angry, but then, I suppose you always had a bit of a temper. Fine." Suddenly the echoes disappeared, and the male speaker's voice was clearly coming from above. "I'm up here, little bro."

Suppressing a shiver as the chill shot down his spine, he swallowed hard before soaring up through the darkness. His wings had appeared before he rose over the edge of the metal platform, and seemed to slow his descent as he lowered himself to the solid iron plates with a _tink_.

There were several large, toothy gears, each roughly three meters in diameter, that were protruding from beneath the platform, turning quickly enough that little dust had settled on them like the nearby controls. Still, their rotation could hardly be called fast, perhaps one revolution per minute. Not all the lights worked here, either, and nearly a third of the large area was shrouded in a deep darkness.

"Well, now, why were you so anxious to find me?" The voice came from the darkness. Gil looked that way, but was ready for another trick.

"Were you the one who retargeted Gungnir?"

A brief chuckle answered. "Why yes, that was me. I had some help with the Hell Storm, but I suppose you could call that my work as well."

Gil shrugged his shoulders as a swirl of mist surrounded him. Lasting little more than a second, it vanished just as quickly. His white and blue armor covered him as the Templar began to step forward. "And the gate to Earth that's forming? Is that your doing, too?"

"No," the man corrected him, "that was the Chancellor's work. He's the one who showed me how to work things down here. He's been around for a long time, that man, long enough to remember working down here before the current version of Yggdrasil was brought online."

"So the Chancellor was in on all this," Gil stated. "But why? Why try to free the Cruel Angel? He knew what it was, what would happen. Why did he do it?"

"Oh come on, Gil," the voice sounded disappointed in him. "Why does anyone betray their loyalties? The Almighty is generous, but he will only allow so much power in the hands of his servants. By any story or account you read, the Cruel Angel's power rivaled the Almighty, and that was without a surprise attack. Marduk probably figured that the Cruel Angel would reward him if he assured total victory for the Master. I guess all we have to do now is see if the Master delivers."

"You talk as if the war is over," Gil stepped forward again, readying himself to attack.

"The war _is _over, little bro," he said, sounding as if he were explaining that water was wet. It grated on Gil's already frayed nerves. "The war was over a month ago, the same day I came to serve my new Master."

Gilgamesh was nearly growling. "Enough! Come out and face me!" He raised his sword, extending it out toward the darkness, daring his opponent to come.

The laugh came again from the darkness. "Oh, little bro, you haven't changed at all, have you? Still clinging to your sense of honor and fighting fairly. Challenging your enemy to a fair duel, as if I would fight fair. Oh, alright, Gil. I'm in no hurry." A glint appeared in the shadows and slowly began to move closer. The metal _clunk_ of his boots rang loudly as the form marched slowly forward, and his no-dachi became more visible the closer he drew. Gil could see that the man was shrouded by the same kind of black cloak as the God he had fought at Yokosuka. "By the way, little bro, I must thank you."

Gilgamesh was growing tired of this _little bro_ nonsense. _Surely this fool doesn't expect me to fall for such a stupid trick?_ He made a disgusted sound. "Thank me for what, you bastard?"

"I wanted to thank you for giving my ring to Ex," the form replied, stepping further from the shadows. "She was wearing it when she died. Somehow it made me feel good to watch the light begin to fade from her eyes with that thing on her finger."

Another chill hit him, and Gilgamesh could barely keep his sword from wavering. "What do you mean? What are you talking about?"

The space under the dark hood seemed to brighten, and Gil could swear the man was smiling. "You don't know, do you? They never told you what Sephiroth saw…I suppose it's to be expected since they didn't believe him." With a flourish, the man threw back his hood. "It's me, little bro!" Gil's sword did waver this time.

Xander stood there before him, that signature smile on his face. But his face was scarred, and a patch from his left eye to the corner of his mouth to his left ear seemed not to be made of flesh at all. It looked more like layers of old, rotting paper than skin. Only patches of his spiky golden hair remained, and his left hand didn't seem to be a hand at all. It was more of a fleshy lobster claw.

Gilgamesh felt his stomach lurch. He thought he would be sick, but not because of the unnatural corruptions he saw. It was because it was his friend, his brother that had been corrupted. It _was _Xander. No one else could have known about the ring. He hadn't even told Skuld about it. His mouth worked, trying to form words from a mess of thoughts, but nothing came out.

A small sound of metal touching metal rang in Gil's ears like cymbals as Xander's sword touched his. "Well now, Killer, let's see that warrior's spirit." He cocked his head a little when Gilgamesh didn't do anything but stare at him. "I suppose you really didn't know, eh? So how about it, bro? Are you still going to fight me?"

"Xander," Gil managed with a weak voice, "it doesn't have to be like this. You can come back to us." The corrupted God laughed loudly.

"There's no going back, Gil, not for either of us."

Gil managed to keep his sword in front of him. "Xander, I don't want to fight you."

"Too bad, little bro," he replied in a cruel voice. "If you aren't going to get things started, then I will."

With a flash of steel Xander knocked Gil's sword away to his right. A backhanded slash came at him and Gil frantically arched backward, watching it as it swung barely more than a centimeter over his chest and nose. The clawed left hand of his friend came arching downward quickly afterward. Letting his power fill him, Gil shot out from under the blow, hearing the metal plates tear as the claw struck. Flying backward, Gil saw his sword still flying through the air to the right, almost as if things were going in slow motion.

_I can't fight Xander! He's the closest thing I've ever had to a brother! No, he's not Xander anymore. If he killed Ex, then he can't be. I have to fight him._

Flipping backward, his boots struck the guard rail hard. He could feel the tubular metal groan and bend under the pressure as he looked up at his friend. _No, he's not my friend anymore._ Xander was smiling, waiting for him. Gil's sword still spun through the air.

Launching off the rail, he raced toward his target like a blur. Leaning into the attack, a still smiling Xander swung his sword at the oncoming Templar. As he drew near, Gil activated a miniature shield program that Odin had taught him. Two glowing blue magic circles, each only slightly larger than his hand, appeared over each palm. His left hand went to block the sword strike while his right pushed away the claw. His boots landed squarely against Xander's midsection as Gil slammed his forehead into the other God's face.

He heard Xander curse in pain as Gil pushed off with his feet, flying nearly ninety degrees off his attack course. In an instant he grabbed his own sword from the air, only a hair from hitting the ground, and spread his wings wide. In another instant he twisted around and landed against an undamaged rail. He squatted there for a moment before rising, standing on the narrow guard rail as if it were just another catwalk.

"You underestimate me," he stated flatly, "_big brother_. If you think you can use my emotions against me, you are sorely mistaken. I have other people to save, people that I _can_ save, so I can't let myself get killed here." _No matter how much it hurts. I have to save Skuld, no matter what the cost to me._

Xander chuckled a little, wiping away the blood coming out of his broken nose. "I suppose I did underestimate you, little bro. It looks like the budy-budy advantage won't work on you like I thought it would. But that's only one advantage I have." He ripped away the black cloak to reveal his armor. I was a sickly white, with what looked like mildew in parts of its cracked surface. "You and I know who was always the better Templar. Hell, the only reason you made First Order is because I 'died', isn't that right?"

Gil's eye twitched. "That's true, they didn't give me a trial to test my strength." Drawing his blade up, he gave it a whirl before stopping it upright, the edge next to his right eye. "This will be my test. If I win here, I won't be walking in your shadow anymore."

"That's the spirit! Now you're getting serious!" Flexing his shoulders, Xander called forth his wings. Gil wanted to turn away, but did not allow himself. The few feathers that were left were yellow or a purplish color, and the skin below was an angry red with several spots that looked like bruises. There were even patches of flesh missing where Gil could see bone. "Aww, don't look at me like that, little bro. I can't have you feeling sorry for me. Where's the Killer who blew the head off that statue all those years ago?"

"He's right here, Xander!" He managed to keep his voice from cracking as he yelled. "Now come and get him!" His friend, _former_ friend, leaped forward with a smile, and Gil darted forward to meet him. Even as he bellowed at his enemy, he couldn't stop the tears from trickling down his cheeks.

* * *

"Ma'am, I'm getting readings from all around Nekomi," Ere spoke up.

Peorth floated down from the elevated console, giving a quiet sigh. It was the only sign she had given of her sense of loss. _Keiichi is…he _might_ be gone. If we don't win this war, though, Keiichi won't be the only one to…_ She shoved the thought aside. "Then I guess it's too late to try to warn them." Ceres nodded as she landed, but otherwise reacted very little. She moved in close to the Goddess in charge. "Are you okay?" It was hardly a whisper, but Ceres acted almost like she was yelling.

"I'm fine," she finally replied tightly. She didn't seem fine at all. Peorth put a gentle hand on the other woman's shoulder.

"You know, Ceres, when this is all over, we're going to have so much fun." The other Goddess looked at her like she was crazy, but she went on. "We're going to go out every night for a month! We're going to drink and carouse, and you're going to have a different God on your arm every night, starting with Keos."

They laughed quietly. Peorth hardly felt better, but some of the nervous energy seemed to bleed off Ceres, and she reached over to grasp Peorth's hand. "Thank you. I'm fine now. Really." Her smile was weak but sincere.

"Massive reading in the Haguruma!" Chrono called out. "Gil's fighting whoever is down there!"

_We can't afford to loose Gilgamesh, certainly not after all this! _"I'm going down there," Peorth told them, "he might need help." She expected resistance, but Ceres only nodded.

"Be very careful, Peorth," she whispered, "We can't loose him now."

Peorth allowed a smirk as she realized how alike she and Ceres seemed to think sometimes, but as she turned away the grin vanished. "Where's Belldandy?"

Turning around, Ceres wore the same look of confusion that Peorth did. "She was just here!" Shaking her head she stood and touched the dark haired Goddess on the arm. "You go help Gilgamesh. I'll try to find Belldandy with Yggdrasil if I can."

The Goddess of Roses nodded quickly and darted from the room. As she left, she heard Chrono say that the unauthorized gate was now open. Well, that wasn't her problem right now. She raced down the corridors as fast as she could fly, hoping that she could be in time to help Gilgamesh, and also hoping that Belldandy would be safe.

* * *

He rammed the fleshy, bloated creature at full speed, driving the knife in so far that his hand was inside. It writhed and howled as he drove the steel home again and again. Its tentacles wrapped around his left arm and his torso, but it couldn't pull him away. Oily blood spattered him, and his left eye stung as he squeezed it tightly shut against the black blood trying to get in. 

"Morisato, it's dead."

Taff's groaning voice stopped him from stabbing into it again. It had indeed stopped moving. Grimly, he climbed off of the corpse, trying to wipe the sticky blood from his mouth. He had only managed to smear it a little before he made it over to where the Gunnery Sergeant lay sprawled on the dead grass. Taff was swallowing something as he approached, and what looked like a first aid kit was spilled out on the ground next to him.

"Never thought I'd be willing to kill to get my hands on some friggin Motrin," he grimaced. "It's too bad they don't put morphine in the first aid kits anymore."

"You alright?" Keiichi asked between breaths.

The Marine shook his head. "Leg's broke. Broke pretty bad, too." They both looked around as they heard more guttural howls in the distance. "You better get out of here. Hurry, git!" He pushed the Japanese man, but it barely felt more than a nudge.

"I'm not going without you," he stated firmly, trying to think of how they would both get out alive.

"You can't carry me, Morisato," he snapped. "You're just going to get us both killed."

Keiichi was looking around for an answer when he found it. "Up there!" He pointed through the opening in the trees the clearing provided. It looked like there was a good sized hill just ahead, and on top of that hill was some sort of building. "If we can make it to that, we can hide out for a while."

"I'm not going to tell you again, boy! Get out of here while you can!"

He yelled back at the Marine just as vehemently. "And I'm not going to tell you again, I'm not leaving you here!"

"My leg is broke, you idiot! I can't go running around with you!" Taff tried to push him away again, but Keiichi ignored it. He pulled Taff by the arm, sitting him up and eliciting a yell of pain.

"Tough it out, Marine," Keiichi ordered. "And stop making so much noise or they'll hear us."

Taff hissed a curse and tried to put his good leg under him as he was pulled up. Keiichi put the man's arm over his shoulder and they began their slow march toward the building on the hill. "God damn, Morisato," he said in a tight voice, "you smell like ass."

Keiichi almost laughed. The viscous blood he was covered in was where the foul stench came from, but he only shook his head a little, jostling his helmet again. "Thanks."

* * *

Black smoke was rising nearby, and he could even see some of the highest flames as they consumed trees on the other side of the school building. There was a lot of crying, and it was difficult for Grewana to herd all the children away from the fighting. He was trying to help, but even the boys were sniffling. 

Dyson had never been so scared in his whole life. The young boy had only minutes ago been setting fires with his friends (to practice with the powers Gilgamesh had taught them). Grewana, the Second Class Goddess watching over his class of youths, was in the process of scolding them when it all started. The explosions and fires, the lightning strikes and the yells. Even now Dyson could hear the evil howls of the unseen enemies, getting closer every moment.

He was at the front of the group while Grewana was at the rear, alternating between looking over her shoulder worriedly and ushering the children onward. They were trying to get to Yggdrasil, she said they would be safe there, but looking at the tower now, it seemed so far away. He wondered if they could make it.

One of the girls screamed, and it was only a fraction of a second before it spread to nearly everyone in the group had joined her. Even Dyson was letting out a yell at the ghastly thing that had appeared out of the trees behind them. The thing was a monster that looked like it was made out of a bunch of rotted fish melted together. If Dyson had ever imagined a giant zombie with tentacles instead of a right arm, this would have been it.

It made a hissing sort of noise as it reacted to their screams, and he could just barely hear Grewana yell at them to run. Dyson was as frozen as everyone else until the monster began to step toward them. Finally registering what their Goddess protector had told them, he began to grab his classmates by the arms and pushing them in the direction of Yggdrasil. _It's not what big brother Gil would do, but I have to do something!_

Grewana dashed forward, hurling fire at the creature as she whipped up the wind to fan those flames. The creature screamed as the fire became a tornado around it. Dyson actually grinned a little. She could beat it, and they would keep going to Yggdrasil. They would be alright.

He was near the back of the group now, pushing the last stragglers past him as he became the closest to their teacher. "Lady Grewana! C'mon! We can't make it without you!"

The others were in the trees now, leaving only Dyson, the Goddess and the monster in the school yard. She was still holding her program on the screaming monster, not reacting to his calls at all. He stepped closer, yelling this time. "The class is in the trees! We need you to protect us!"

"Alright," she spoke in a strained voice, "alright! This should hold it for a while. Let's get going." The Goddess lowered her hands and began running toward him. She didn't see the tentacle lash out of the flames. Dyson fell back on the grass as he yelped in surprise, but Grewana could make no such noise. The tentacle was wrapped tightly around her neck, raising her till her toes were struggling to reach the ground.

He floated up, frantically grabbing at the fleshy tentacle, tears running down his cheeks as he tried not to sob. "Hold on, Grewana, just hold on! I'll help you!" Tears were running down her cheeks as well, and he could hear her terrified gasps as she tried to breathe. Abruptly he felt the muscles in the tentacle tighten, and he heard a sickening crack. Grewana's eyes bulged for an instant, and the look of fear began to relax from her face. Dyson shook his head, renewing his effort to free her. "No, no, no, no! Just wait, I'll help you! Please, you have to hold on! You have to…" The wind was knocked out of him as another tentacle flew out of the dying flames and knocked him away.

The child God blinked the tears away as he rolled over. Looking up again, the creature was struggling, staggering where it stood even though the fire was gone. It carelessly flung Grewana's limp body to the side where it disappeared into the trees. Dyson was thankful that it was well away from the place where his classmates had gone into the woods. Blinking away more tears, he realized that it was a strange thing to be thankful for, but he was still glad the others hadn't seen her like that.

"Dyson, c'mon!" Several hands were grabbing him by the arms, and he looked up in surprise to see several of the other boys standing there on the green with him. "C'mon we have to get out of here! Where's Lady Grewana?"

It was hard not to cry as he spoke. "She's gone." He saw them open their mouths and he yelled before they could utter another word. "She's _gone_! We're on our own, okay?" He could see the girls and most of the boys at the edge of the trees, staring wide eyed at the creature.

They stared at him for a second, some going to tears again. "You…you mean she's de-?"

"She's gone," he interrupted, scrubbing his eyes with his robes. When he looked up again, he only had eyes for the bloated monster that still staggered several meters away. _It's hurt pretty bad. _"You guys take the rest and get them to Yggdrasil. It's like big brother Gil said. It's down to us to protect them now. We can't fail big brother. Now go!"

"Wait," someone called as he stepped forward, "where are you going?"

"I'm settling the score!" Stopping a ways away from the monster, far enough that he felt it couldn't hit him with its tentacles, he began to gather his energy. He suddenly noticed four of his friends around him. "What are you doing? Get out of here!"

"You think you're the only one who want's to get back for Lady Grewana?"

Another wiped his nose as he nodded. "Besides, big brother said we have to attack all at once!"

Dyson looked at each of them quickly as they each waited for him. "Alright then, let's get him!" He directed them to spread out a bit. Two of them stood on the ground, two more were in the air, above and slightly further apart than the first two. Dyson himself was centered on top. He had seen this sort of thing in an adventure book somewhere, like the five points of a star design. It seemed as good a formation as any.

The monster acted as if it were blinded by the Goddess' fire attack, but it seemed to hear them as it swung its tentacles at them, not missing by much. It stepped toward them, though. If it swung again, someone would take the shot.

"Just like big brother Gil showed us!" Dyson spoke just loud enough for them to hear, hoping not to draw the creature's attention. Besides, they were set now. Who ever heard of the heroes running once they were ready to attack?

They began to channel their energies, and Dyson thought of heat as he moved his hands in a simple pattern in front of him. Gil had told them it was a program he had learned as a child, something he knew long before he should have. He even said it had gotten him into trouble, damaging a statue or something. _Well, it's the only attack program we know, so it'll have to work._

"Spirits of fire, lend me your energies," he chanted, hearing the other boys speaking the same words. "Let me wield you against my enemies!" He strained, scraping every ounce of energy he could find within himself. _Let this be enough!_ "_Firebolt!_"

As they spoke the activation word, their programs went crazy. Usually the fire just came out of their outstretched hands, but this time glowing blue mandalas, almost half a meter across, appeared in front of each of their hands. Before he could blink it became even more bizarre as arcs of blue energy connected the five mandalas in a large circle.

The boys were jerking away, trying to retreat from this surprising event, as the lines within the circle seemed to arrange themselves into advanced runes that were far beyond his level. He would dare to guess they wouldn't have been easy even for a licensed Celestial. In the midst of it all, a new mandala appeared to take up the space inside the new, larger circle. It utterly confused Dyson's eye in the instant he saw it. An instant was all he had before the program activated.

A ball of fire, at least ten times the size of any they had ever created before, shot out from the mad program they had somehow managed to create. It went slightly high and to the left, and if the creature had been another meter away, the projectile would have missed completely. It did hit, however, and hit hard. The bolt of fire struck the creature's right shoulder, exploding loudly and lifting the creature from its feet. Dyson looked on in surprise as the monster spun in the air and landed ten meters from its tentacle ended arm. The creature didn't move again.

"We…we did it," one of the boys said.

"Yeah," Dyson said sarcastically, "We messed up a simple program and got lucky that it still worked enough to kill that thing."

"But even if it worked different, it was better than usual," the red nosed one added. "That's never happened before."

Dyson shrugged, looking back at the monster. "I guess that's true. Maybe it was cause we were in a cool formation?" He managed what sounded like an amused huff, but he still wanted to cry. He thought about Grewana, and rubbed at his eyes again. He didn't know if he would be able to act tough the whole way to Yggdrasil. The boys were looking at him, and was trying to think of something to say when something caught his eye.

There was a Goddess across the open green, moving back toward the school. She had light blonde hair in a long pony tail, and her white robes were trimmed with blue and tiny lines of gold. He couldn't see her face, but it looked as though she was looking at the ground as she walked. He started to trot over to her. _Maybe she can help us? Please let her be able to help us!_ "Hey! Miss Goddess?" She didn't seem to notice him. Nor did she notice the new creature that appeared from the trees behind her, heading straight for her. He broke into a run. "Behind you! Look out!" He could hear the others behind him as they let out alarmed yells. He tried to gather more energy as he ran. _I hope I have enough for another shot!_ "Miss Goddess, it's right behind you! Turn around!"

As if she had finally noticed his words, she slowly turned as the creature bore down on her. He saw that she was very beautiful, but her eyes were as dull as any Dyson had ever seen, and he thought suddenly that he was looking at the saddest person in the universe. _I can't make it in time! I can't get close enough to hit it!_ "Miss Goddess, run! Get away!"

She didn't take a step though. Her slow, steady turn continued through. The thing came into her line of sight as it raised its giant claw to strike and Dyson knew there was nothing he could do. But then something happened. Her eyes changed as he watched, and suddenly he felt like he was looking into the frozen depths of the sea. The dark blue was like the darkest ocean frozen solid. Dyson felt a wave of fear wash over him, and he tried to stop in place.

The Goddess' mouth moved in a blur and, to his ears, a thousand overlapping words left her lips in an instant. A gale suddenly buffeted Dyson, and he saw the monster's body divide into a dozen different pieces and more. Unable to believe what he was seeing, he blinked, and the remains of the creature came further apart and were blown away.

Dyson skidded to a halt and fell to his rump.

She had simply disintegrated it in less than a second. She only _looked _at it, and it was gone. Gulping down his nervousness, he got to his feet again and approached the Goddess.

There was a strange look on her face. It looked like anger to Dyson, but it also seemed regretful. Suddenly it was gone, and her eyes dulled again. She seemed so sad that she might never smile again. He was about to ask if he could help her when she muttered something. "Keiichi," she whispered, turning away from him. "I have to find Keiichi."

He watched her begin to walk the way she had been before. He still wasn't sure that the sad woman had seen him, but it didn't matter. He had made up his mind.

"Dyson? Did she say anything?" His friends had caught up with him again and were looking at him expectantly.

He looked at them for a moment before his eyes returned to the retreating back of the Goddess. "Get everyone moving. We're going to follow her."

"But she's going away from Yggdrasil!" someone said.

"Did you guys not see what she just did?" He turned and began waving the other children over. "There's no telling how many more of those things there are between us and Yggdrasil tower. At least with her, we'll be safe. Now come on!" He waved the others over again and started to trot off after the strange Goddess.

He caught up to her as they passed the school building, and as he looked over his shoulder, he was pleased to see everyone had indeed followed. Most were sniffling or outright crying, but they were all together. Putting himself behind her and to her right, he kept on following the Goddess quietly. She didn't appear to notice him or any of the others, though he did hear her faintly say something about finding 'Keiichi' every once in a while.

-------------------------------------

A/N:

Wow, I can't believe I wrote that. As you might have noticed, this chapter was about twice as long as my previous longest chapters. I don't know if the next chapter will be quite as big, but I expect it to be longer than usual as well.

Well, this is the first part of the end of Arc II, and I'm sure some of you are wondering if I lost my mind with all the crazy stuff that happened. I can only assure you that every event in this chapter had specific causes, even if not all those causes are apparent yet. I also want to point out that the violence in this chapter is not there for the sake of violence. It's actually toned down in some places.

Anyway, this is a pivotal time in the war. A turning point of sorts. Of course, which way we turn has yet to be seen. I don't think I need to say things look extraordinarily bad for the good guys. While I hate cliff hangers as much as any of you, I hope that I managed to pack some suspense in there.

Just as much is going to happen in the next chapter, and I may have a Arc II Epilogue chapter as well. Anyway, chances are that the Arc will end in the next chapter, and we'll be moving on to the third and final arc of the story.

BTW, this chapter has moved us far beyond my old work. In fact, so little of this chapter is from the last chapter of the old version, that this may as well be a completely new chapter. If that's not good enough, then all the rest of the chapters I put out will be completely and totally new. Any of you who read this chapter years ago when I first posted it will be in totally new territory.

Also, in case anyone cares, there was a part where one of the Marines says "I'm not a weather guesser." 'Weather Guesser' is an affectionate term we use to refer to the military meteorologists. At least, it was in the places I was at.

Now to my reviewers…

_Jimmeh:_ 3 reads? You're gonna make me blush! But seriously, thanks for taking such an interest. And as an added bonus, the double long chapter came out in only a week! That's like a chapter every three and a half days!

_NavyPolice83:_ Glad to prove you wrong in that case. Thanks again for sticking around. Hope you like the chap.

_And to all of you who have ever reviewed Zankoku:_ I know I've said thank you every chapter, but I really do mean it. Finishing this story is really important to me and you guys have given me the stamina to write most of this. I wouldn't have made it half this far without you. So really, honest to God, thank you guys.

Well, that's it. I'm going to play Lost Planet for a while and get to work on the Arc II finale tomorrow. If there are any major flaws in this chapter, please let me know. It was a hard self-proofread.

Thanks for reading, and see you next chapter!

Katamari Damacy


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